Consumer complaint received 2016-01-05
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
Hi My name is XXXX XXXX. 
I`m going through nightmare because of Citibank and their unprofessional customer service. 
I have Citibank checking account where I was keeping my life savings.I have another checking account with XXXX XXXX where I do my banking and pay my bills.I use this Citibank checking account as saving.I was trusting Citibank and keeping my savings what I have earned in their bank, since they offer me free checking account.Since I was not using that account very often and I had paperless statement I was not constantly aware what is going on in my account.i just was trusting Citibank and would never think that they will let me go through this nightmare what I`m going through now. 
One day when my father passed away few months ago and I needed to take money from my account because I had expenses to cover i called my Citibank checking account to check my balance and also find out how much they charge to transfer money to my home country Armenia.When i called first I got surprised when automatic service told me that I have there few hundred dollar available balance, because I knew that I have there around XXXX $ dollar.Then I got little nervous and asked for life representative. 
When I spoke to life rep and asked her where is my money, she told me that the records indicate that I wrote a check for XXXX $ to someone.I got really surprised, upset and frustrated at the same time at that moment, because first of all I never wrote any check to anyone from that account and second of all from the day when I opened that account I never had any checks on that account.I never ordered checkbook.Anyway eventually we find out that I`m a victim of identity theft.There is forgery check and fraudulent activities on my account.At that moment I was in terrible situation, since my father just passed away and I had to go through this everything also.They told me not to worry about this, since I have nothing to do with it, and just go to Citibank branch the next day to close this account and open new one.They also opened the dispute for this transactions, and they promise me to issue conditional credit so I can cover my expenses.Within next few days we did everything what they ask and also sent affidavit of Forgery. 
After almost 2 months I receive letter from Citibank with some none sense unprofessional explanation.That letter says that they denying the reimbursement since the interval between you first notified of the transaction and the date you finally informed Citibank exceeded 30 days.They also mention that Client Manual stated that information, which is false statement.We have client manual and next to that 30 days notice requirement there is highlighted note, that forgery endorsements are exceptions.You can not control identity theft or when you will become a victim.It does not make any sense. 
Anyway after we receive that letter we called Citi bank several times.Every time we speak to them they politely apologizing and saying something different.One of the reps even told us that they deny the case because they never received the affidavit form.We have tried in 3 different occasions to reopen the case and even done the affidavit in their branch, but even that did not helped.Now they told me that they will again open the investigation, but I don`t trust them anymore.That`s why I need your help. 
I`m old woman with lots of health problems.And I`m going through nightmare this passed 3 months because of them.We told them many times.Why you never called me to verify such a large transaction before granting it, where is your security??? Why I have to go through all this because of you unprofessional act? In one day I lost all my life savings. 
Please help me to get my money back. 
This is USA and in this country no one can treat consumers and tax payers like that. 
They disrespecting us and discriminating without any reason.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation