Consumer complaint received 2022-05-05
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, On XX/XX/22 my wife, XXXX XXXX opened a Regular Checking andCiti XXXX accounts with Citibank , N.A . ( in person at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX CA XXXX ) {$0.00} were deposited at that time. 

On XX/XX/22 XXXX and I ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) returned to same Citibank N.A. branch ( XXXX XXXX and I was added to the account and we made a deposit via personal check ( from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$200000.00} ; {$200000.00} into the savings and {$500.00} into the checking. 

On XX/XX/22 XXXX XXXX XXXX shows the personal check for the amount of {$200000.00} was cashed by Citibank N.A. 

On XX/XX/22 Citibank locked our accounts and apparently blocked us from all access. No notice or communication of any kind was attempted by Citibank N.A. 

On XX/XX/22 XXXX attempted to log into accounts and for the first time discovered the block on the accounts. XXXX immediately visited the XXXX branch to discuss the matter with the Citibank N.A . Employees who oversaw the original transactions ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The branch manager XXXX called Citibank Corporate on our behalf but was told only that our account had been referred to first party fraud services and that a check would be mailed to us likely within 60 days. 

That same afternoon, XXXX spoke with the staff at our usual bank ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and they expressed shock and confusion as we have been perfect customers, holding several credit card, checking, savings, and an auto loan through safe with zero overdrafts or late payments over the approximately 10 years we have been customers. The team at XXXX even helped us produce documents to prove that the {$200000.00} personal check was cashed by Citibank XXXX. We also have proof of the legitimate origins of the funds. {$160000.00} was the result of extracted home equity when we refinanced our home on XX/XX/22, and the remainder was from XXXX personal savings account, accrued through wages earned over many years. Our intention with the money was to use the superior interest and cash back rewards that Citibank N.A. advertises in an attempt to offset some of the mortgage interest/inflation depreciation that we are loosing while we wait for construction permits to expand our home. 

Strangely, on XX/XX/22, we received a monthly statement from Citibank N.A. Showing balances to each account in the amounts that we deposited plus {$5.00} in interest. The statement made no reference to the closure. 

We have since called several Citibank phone numbers only to be told that our account had been referred to fraud services and that the amount of the account would be mailed to us in the form of a check within 60 days and then promptly hung up on. Meanwhile, we have no reason to believe anything they are saying to us as we are making mortgage interest payments on money that we no longer have access to. We both have clean criminal records and carry credit scores over XXXX. There is nothing that we can imagine on our end that could possibly warrant such treatment. 

As of today ( XX/XX/22 ) we still have not received any formal notification of the account closure or any actual explanation as to why Citibank N.A. has confiscated nearly all of our wealth. A quick glance through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer complaint Database, seems to indicate that Citibank N.A. has done similar harm to many, many, other people on and around the same date, all over the country. This is extremely alarming and the national Press should be informed so that American consumers can protect themselves and avoid Citibank N.A. 

Please and thank you for any help, XXXX XXXX XXXX & XXXX 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 explanation