Consumer complaint received 2023-09-09
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CO
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
Around XX/XX/XXXX, I called CITI concerning fraudulent charges on my credit card. I believe the contact was initiated by a warning when I logged in online. I might have received a text as well. I called CITI on XX/XX/XXXX. I had a total of 3 calls to CIT on XX/XX/XXXX for a total of 39 minutes as they were having issues verifying my account. At that time, I let CITI know these were fraudulent charges and to turn the card off. 

I have had over 20 phone conversations from XXXX today XXXX, with CITI about the fraudulent changes for more than 4 hours in total talk time. We have gone through the charges more than once. I spoke with CITI on the following dates XXXX, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XXXX. On some of the dates, there were multiple calls. 

The fraudulent charges were made XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. There were pending charges after the 17th that never hit the account, as I had spoken to CITI. CITI recognized the fraudulent nature of the changes as they notified me once they started occurring. CITI should have turned the card off after I contacted them on XXXX. 

I have asked CITI for a case number associated with the disputes, and they said each dispute was its own case. There are approximately 38 fraudulent transactions. 

I received a notice from CITI around XX/XX/XXXX ( this is the date I retrieved from the mail ) saying that CITI had tried to reach me. They claimed that I did not contact them and were denying the dispute for that reason. When I called CITI, I was told a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX was mailed to me, but I have no record of receiving this document. When I called CITI on XX/XX/XXXX, I believe I spoke to the Dispute Investigation Department ( not sure of the actual name ) ; the representative was not able to see the times I had spoken to CITI prior, including the calls on XX/XX/XXXX for 24 mins, and XXXX for 17 mins. I have phone records of the calls, so I was very surprised that CITI claimed I had not responded. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was unable to get a resolution, and the agent refused to allow me to speak to a supervisor. Eventually, the agent transferred me to the Fraud department, and I went through all of the charges again and was told that the disputes was reopened. 

I called to follow up on XX/XX/XXXX and was told that the disputes were not reopened on XX/XX/XXXX. On the call on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told on the phone that they reopened the disputes, but I have not heard back and feel I am getting the runaround. 

After over four hours on the phone, it feels like CITI is trying to make the process as difficult and time-consuming as possible. It seems my prior conversations are not noted by CITI representatives. Looking online, I see many other consumers making similar complaints about CITI and their process to dispute charges. 

I filed an online Fraud/ID Theft report with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations this morning, XXXX. I have not yet received a case number. 

I have had this card for over 30 years, and CITIs system recognized the fraudulent nature of the charges. I am unsure if my credit card info or an actual card was stolen. I requested a replacement card from CITI on XX/XX/XXXX. I could not find my card but did not think it was lost or stolen, so the number was not changed. I have possession of a card ending in XXXX and think there was more than one physical card ending in XXXX because of the replacement sent. I could not get the information about the replacement card from XX/XX/XXXX from CITI until a call today that lasted 39 minutes. 

No consumer should have to go through this effort to dispute fraudulent charges. I did not make the disputed changes.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief