Consumer complaint received 2021-10-28
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
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: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
Below are the details of my issue- In summary, I had credit card fraud done by two Jewelry District stores on XXXX. 

XXXX Citi credit card alerted me of the incident and confirmed I would not be responsible. 

Then they decided to deny the fraud claim on the store that charged almost {$4000.00} stating a, chip was used so therefore it is not fraud. 

Their application page claims- {$0.00} liability for fraudulent transactions that you or anyone on your card did not authorize. 

There is no exemption of a chip. 

They said they do not want to further investigate because chips protect the merchant and they do not want to be responsible for the transaction. 

I have asked for a receipt, video, proof of purchase, proof a chip was used, or even a time stamp to prove that the card could not be in these locations near or at the same time. 

________________________ On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX, I received a text message from Citibank of fraudulent activities asking if I attempted {$200.00} at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX? ( Photo ) As I checked my account, 2 were in the amount of {$200.00} to " XXXX * XXXX XXXX '' Business w/ 1 pending also for {$200.00} for this same location & another one was in the amount of {$3300.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX , which I declined all immediately and cancelled the card. 

I saw the {$200.00} charges disappear from my pending list & on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, I received a text message from Citi Costco stating that the transaction for {$3300.00} with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was canceled and wont post to my account. ( Photo ) I continued to see the {$330000.00} transaction in my account and after numerous calls, Citi said it would take more time for to be removed but it should be off before my cycle ends on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Around XX/XX/XXXX, I read a letter from Citibank stating that, the cards EMV chip was used to make the disputed transaction at a chip enabled card reader. You verified that your card was in your possession at the time of the transaction, so we dont consider this fraudulent activity. & therefore, I am responsible to pay for it. 

Both locations are in Downtown XXXX XXXX XXXX - according to XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX XXXX , CA XXXX There are no times listed for the purchases in my account but Citibank said only the Police Department can call this number below to request that information & receipts : XXXX It was my 1st time using the card outside of my home at a physical merchant in a long time since the pandemic. My authorized purchases were at an appointment and gas station. They show on my bill but Citi will not provide proof of purchase, or proof that a chip was used, or the time stamps to possibly show that it would have been impossible to be at all these locations at or near the same time especially with XXXX XXXX traffic, I got the text while I was at home at XXXX XXXX, but the authorized merchants did not respond w/ any other similar issues. ( Photo ) I had to reopen the dispute a number of times because they continuously denied the claim stating since a chip was used it is not fraud. Many articles show that duplicating a chip to be used is NOT impossible if a chip was even actually used. 

Citis application home page takes pride that there is {$0.00} liability on unauthorized transactions for consumer cards. It continues to state, Youre not liable for unauthorized purchases. When unauthorized transactions on your Citi consumer debit or credit cards are promptly reported, you wont be held responsible for those purchases. 

There is no comment that, chip usage is excluded. 

Ive spoken to the service representatives, fraud department, security department and the supervisors and eventually got a hard stop with a supervisor named, XXXX, whos stated that they do not will investigate any further or seek to provide me with a receipt or proof a chip was used because even if it was someone else, the merchant is full protected and Citi does not want to be responsible for this transaction. 

The XXXX Detective I filed the Police Report with, states that they receive over 38,000+ cases like this and finds it suspicious that they would admit that one store was fraud but not the other store close by. 

The owner of the XXXX XXXX said he can not provide me with the receipt and he does not have video footage. He also said, the bank needs to contact his accountant for the receipt. The bank ( Citi ) was informed this and said, no they would do no such thing. 

I have been continuing to pay off my card monthly as I have al these years but now leaving the Love Jewels charge while creating interest for this charging rolling over every month. 

I havent cancelled the card and continue to use it because I dont want to have a delinquent account or ruin my credit. 

I am trapped in this vicious game and NOT PROTECTED at Citi claims. They are not even curious how this could have happened. They just state, its impossible to copy a chip and you have your card in your possession, therefore it is not fraud. They will not look into if somehow another card was created or any other possible rationale because as they say- they do not want to investigate and provide time stamps to prove that it is impossible for said, one credit card to be in multiple locations at the same time or take responsibility for this charge, and want to leave it to their consumer.

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 explanation