Consumer complaint received 2022-01-15
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: IL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
The full narrative of my dealings with CitiBank, and the XXXXe, intimidation, and threats suffered when I tried to collect a bonus promised when opened CitiXXXX  Checking account, funded with {$50000.00} taken out of a high interest savings account are described in the written materials I will submit in connection with this complaint. 
In short, I received an invitation from CitiBank to open this no interest checking account along with a personal bonus code that would give me a bonus of XXXX XXXX Bonus Miles. I fully funded the new XXXX XXXX Acct, linked it to my Citi XXXX Account, and performed the other actions required to receive the promised bonus. But then started receiving weekly Emails telling me that I had to fund the new acct and link it to my CitiXXXX Acct in order to qualify for any bonuses. After multiple such notices, I attempted to reach someone by phone at the numbers on the original mail offer, a welcome packet, Email and back of my debit card, but after 100s of hours off being placed on hold, transferred around to at least a dozen different offices, and frequent cut-offs, I received a letter from the CitiXXXX office informing me that there was no bonus offer associated with the account I had opened using the bonus offer Code in the original letter of invitation. Another 100+ hrs trying to reach someone to correct this error, again to no avail. So went to my local CitiBank Office with all my documentation, and spoke to a personal XXXX. After explaining my problem, she said You opened this account online and not here in my branch, so I can not help you. I then asked if she could at least connect me with someone at CitiBank who could help me, to which she replied You are not listening to me, so you have to leave now or I will call the police. I returned the next day, to withdraw all my funds from CitiBank and to obtain the name of the unhelpful and threatening banker so I could lodge a complaint against her. She refused to tell me her name, locked her business cards in her drawer, and started to call the Police and again threatened to have me ejected from the Branch Office. Fortunately another banker overheard our conversation and gave me his card and assisted me in filling out the forms to withdraw the over {$50000.00} in my XXXX Cking account. But from that day on, I started to get multiple daily scam Emails impersonating CitiBank secure communications asking me to sign in to retrieve urgent account information. I then called a CitiBank number for security issues, and was told that these Emails were not originating from CitiBank and that I should forward them to their fraud department. Only after multiple requests that they investigate the source of scam phishing Emails and put a stop to them did they finally stop coming, making me suspicious that the same abusive person in my local branch office was the source of those phishing Emails. I later learned her name from a helpful banker in the downtown main local Offices of CitiBank, and have lodged a complaint with CitiBank against her and the XXXXy office at their 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