Consumer complaint received 2022-01-01
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
My wife and I have long been account holders of Citi Bank checking and credit cards. In XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX, we received a fraud alert message from Citi Bank Gold. We immediately called Citi Bank Gold to verify that we did not make any purchases on this Citi Bank Gold credit card. The Customer Care Service representative confirmed with us that the Citi Bank Gold credit card would be CANCELLED immediately. At the same time, my wife and I cut up and shredded that Citi Bank Gold credit card, and threw it away in the trash. Also, and importantly we did NOT order and/or receive a new Citi Bank Gold credit card. We rarely ever used Citi Bank Gold credit card. This card was for emergency purposes only. From this moment on in XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX, we, XXXX and XXXX XXXX did NOT own a Citi Bank Gold Credit Card, therefore this Citi Bank Gold Credit Card did NOT EXIST. 

Fast forward, we received a letter from Citi Cards on XX/XX/XXXX regarding making payments and losing charging privileges. I immediately called to ask what this was regarding, and the Customer Care agent was very vague and not helpful. I called another number several times to no avail, and was hung up on several times. 

On XX/XX/XXXX we received a letter from Citibank Security Services that there are charges of {$13000.00} that will remain on our account. I immediately made phone calls to the Fraud division. The Customer Care agent said they would send this information to their supervisor, and that we would receive a call soon. NO CALL ever came. 

On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX my wife and I walked into the Citi Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX NY XXXX to speak to a bank manager to assist with this matter. The manager, my wife, and myself were all on a speaker phone conversation with a supervisor from Fraud Division, and requested for an immediate investigation. This supervisor would not detail the charges, and said it would take 30-90 days for them to reach back to us. NOBODY ever reached out to us. 

On XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX we received similar letters from Citi Cards regarding these charges. 



On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX, I called and spoke to a supervisor named XXXX from Fraud division. Reference # XXXX. Even though this Gold Citi Card was CANCELLED, and NOT IN USE, XXXX said there were 56 transactions made on this NON EXISTANT GOLD CITI CARD from XX/XX/XXXX through no specific date. Charges that included XX/XX/XXXX over {$1600.00} at XXXX ; On XXXX XXXX, XXXX {$4600.00} at XXXX XXXX XXXX ; and XXXX XXXX, XXXX {$1100.00} at XXXX XXXX. 

Also, charges included 19 XXXXXXXX XXXX order, and 3 XXXX trips. 

Of course I asked for an immediate investigation. My wife and I live in a doorman building with surveillance cameras everywhere. If Citibank did an investigation they would track the XXXXXXXX XXXX orders and addresses, and also see if there was a delivery to our building and apartment. All deliveries occur in our lobby with cameras, and have to be signed in with our doorman. We have NEVER ordered from XXXX XXXX. We have never made purchases with our previous Citi Bank Gold credit card at XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, or XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX, the supervisor said he submitted the report to his supervisor, saying it would take up to 90 days for us to hear back. NOTHING! 



On XX/XX/XXXX we received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX saying that XXXX XXXX XXXX has taken over that account offering us to pay a compromise of {$11000.00}. Therefore a collection agency was taking over. 



On XX/XX/XXXX I called and spoke to XXXX XXXX from the Citibank Investigations Fraud Department in Florida. I explained all the detailed information that I explained to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. She said she can see these similar transactions, and would report this to her supervisor, and that it would take 90 days for us to hear back NOTHING! 



On XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX we received similar letters from XXXX XXXX XXXX compromising us to pay {$8800.00} charges. 



On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I called and spoke to XXXX XXXX in South Dakota XXXX a supervisor from Security Operations XXXX XXXX seemed to be the most helpful, and we thought this would finally get resolved. He said he was sending this investigation report to his superior XXXX XXXX, and that we would receive a phone call within 5-7 business days. NOTHING! 



On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX we received letters from XXXX XXXX XXXX. Reference # XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX compromises that we can owe {$8800.00}. 



This experience has been exhausting to my wife and myself. In XX/XX/XXXX, we received a high credit score of XXXX. We were in the process of purchasing a second home. We decided to not purchase, but were in talks of refinancing our current condominium in XXXX, New York. We have always been stellar in paying all of our bills. We never owned money to any credit card companies. Through XX/XX/XXXX, we have had EXCELLENT CREDIT. 



We NEVER purchased anything on this Gold Citi Card in the year XXXX and beyond. This has affected our credit score, and the ability to refinance our home. 



It is obvious that there was NEVER an investigation after XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX.

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 non-monetary relief