Consumer complaint received 2022-01-05
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem making or receiving payments

Complaint:
XXXX Citi XXXX Fraud-Denied claim even have evidence On XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX I received a notification in my cellphone that I have a pending transaction in Citibank onlinebanking app. As I check it there were two pending transfers, one is XXXX at XXXX and the second one is 3,600 at XXXX. I immediately called Citibank customer service using my cellphone and my cellphone can not make outgoing call. So, I used my neighbor 's cellphone to call. I called the Citibank Fraud department, they were able to check there were two pending transfers to XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ). I told them that it's fraud and unauthorized. It was not me. However, the customer service was only able to cancel the second one 3,600 but not the first one XXXX. She said that I need to file a complaint or affidavit letter which they will provide. I immediately opened a claim case and request them to contact the beneficiary bank for a wire recall. On the next day, XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I went to Citi branch near my place and file the affidavit of unauthorized online wire transfer and sent it to them and the fraud department has confirmed that they have received it. And on the same night, I went to the local police department to file a police report. I called the investigator from the Citibank XXXX team to provide my police department complaint number the next day. Then, I filed FBI complaint and FTC for the identify theft report. I have called the investigator after a week or two. Then on XX/XX/XXXX, the investigator called me that they denied my claim. I disagreed, so I requested to reopen the case. The next day I went to the police department to pick up a copy of my police report and went to a Citibank branch to ask them to help me fax the report to the fraud department even they did not request it. I was desperate that I need the money back to my account because I only have about 3600 left in my account for my own living expenses, including mortgage and taking caring of my XXXX parents. I was very cooperatively and put my trust on Citibank to provide me with the reasonable care. 

Unfortunately, when I called on XX/XX/XXXX to check on the update of my appeal, they told me that they closed the case and the previous investigator didn't open an appeal for me. I was shock and disappointed!! Therefore, I quickly requested to reopen the case. In the past few weeks, I have tried to contact different lawyers. Meanwhile, I called the wire department to request a proof of the XXXX transection time for three times. They can only able to provide the transection day XXXX XXXX XXXX but not the time XXXX written on the research result. Also, the decision on Fraud claim was very short and generic saying that it was a scam. However, I have never done a big amount of wire-transfer before!! WASN'T THAT OBVIOUS IT IS A FRAUD WHEN ALL OF MY MONEY IS GONE IN TWO BIG TRANSFERS? IF THEY CAN CANCEL THE SMALL ONE, WHY THEY CAN'T CANCEL THE BIG ONE?? When I checked my XXXX text and call records, no one from Citibank contacted me to verify my identify for the big transfer. That was unreasonable customer care!!! 

Today XX/XX/XXXX, I called for an update for my appeal. Citibank XXXX team still said it is under investigation and asked me to wait 30 to 60 days! Oh please HELP!!!!! I AM DESPERATE TO RECOVER MY MONEY IN CITIBANK!! I WORK OVERTIME TO SURVIVE UNDER THIS PANDEMIC. I NEED JUSTICE. PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH REASONABLE CARE!!

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