Consumer complaint received 2023-01-24
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NC
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:
What Happened I am XXXX  years of age, retired, and am a victim of severe XXXX XXXX relating to my finances. The details are as follows : On XXXX XXXX my personal computer locked up. Then a message appeared on the screen instructing me to call XXXX at the number provided. I did. The rep who answered told my computer had been hacked and my financial information was compromised. She asked me for the Customer Service telephone number on the back of my debit card and said she would add them on the line for me. 
A new person called on the cell and the first person dropped off. The new person identified himself as a XXXX XXXX  employee who was part of a special group assigned to work fraudulent activity for XXXX. He told me my bank accounts had been compromised by the computer hack and I needed to act immediately to avoid loss. He literally terrified me to the point I could not think clearly. He instructed me to withdraw all my funds from all my bank accounts and to also withdraw all the cash advances available from all my credit cards. 
He said the hacking might well be the work of a bank employee, so I was to tell absolutely no one why I was withdrawing the cash. 
Since I believed he was a bank employee, I did as I was instructed, withdrawing {$15000.00} in cash from my XXXX  account, {$3000.00} in cash from my XXXX  account and {$10000.00} in cash advances from my credit cards. 
He then instructed me to deposit the cash into a XXXX ATM. 
They would hold the money safely for me until my accounts at the banks were secured. The money would then be transferred back into my accounts. 
He then instructed me to purchase two {$500.00} gift cards using my credit cards and provide him the PIN numbers on the back. I did so. 
I have now realized these instructions were all fraudulent, done solely for the purpose of stealing my money. I did not understand anything about what was happening and was so frightened I could not see what was going on. 
The total losses incurred were : XXXX XXXX  Acct {$3000.00} withdrawn on XX/XX/22 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Acct {$15000.00} withdrawn on XX/XX/22 {$9400.00} withdrawn on XX/XX/22 XXXX Cash Advances : CitiRewards Credit Card XXXXXXXX Citi Costco Credit Card XXXX Citi CostcoCredit Card XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Total Loss {$29000.00} I wish to assert my Regulation E liability limit of {$500.00} with each institution. The perpetrator gained fraudulent access to my computer as well as my accounts. Regulation Es Official Interpretations, found in Supplement I to Part 1005, specifically addresses my situation : an unauthorized EFT includes a transfer initiated by a person who obtained the access device from the consumer through fraud or robbery. The banks with whom I have discussed my situation did not think a Regulation E dispute was not applicable to recover the funds that were fraudulently withdrawn. 
I am now receiving interest, late notices, and penalty charges, from the credit cards and realistically can not pay back the cash advances without extreme hardship. 
My total annual income is {$28000.00}, most of which is Social Security. 
I desperately need help in recovering as much of these losses as possible and respectfully request your help.

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