Consumer complaint received 2016-03-11
Product: Bank account or service — Checking account
Issue: Making/receiving payments, sending money — 
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (TX)

This matter involves the theft of my funds in the amount of {$2900.00}, plus associated bank fees. Said check was issued directly to me by XXXX, from a Citibank Delaware account, for contract legal services I had agreed to perform for XXXX pursuant to my discussions with XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX, both allegedly of XXXX XXXX XXXX. Said check was forwarded to me via XXXX and deposited into my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX account on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. Despite the fact that the XXXX check HAD NOT cleared my bank, on XXXX XXXX, I was instructed to send {$950.00} + {$19.00} fee from those funds to a third-party vendor named XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, Nevada, via XXXX, for the equipment necessary to perform the job duties of the contracted services, i.e., laptop, printer, etc. ; I sent the funds, but with my own personal cash as their check had not cleared. Within a couple days thereafter, I was offered and accepted a full-time position with a local law firm ; the likes of which I had been actively seeking employment with. Once I accepted this new position, I naturally sought instructions from both XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX on how to handle the return of their remaining funds, {$1900.00} ( {$2900.00} - {$960.00} ). It should be noted that prior to depositing this check, I contacted Citibank Delaware, the issuing bank, to verify the issuing check was valid and that the funds were available ; HOWEVER, Citibank Delaware would only confirm the account existed but that verification of the check and funds could NOT be verified because the account was allegedly controlled/owned " by a XXXX '' and that I would have to obtain the requested information from the XXXX ( who 's name and contact information they refused to give me ), and then rudely and without warning disconnected the call while I was still speaking. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, less than 5 days after my initial receipt and deposit of XXXX 's initial check, and because XXXX XXXX REFUSED to accept return of the remaining amounts in any form except cash, which she instructed must be deposited into an obscure and suspicious account with XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX initially did not want me to wait until the funds had cleared my bank, but I insisted. On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted my bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and was informed that the XXXX check had cleared and that the funds were available for my use. Because I was tired of XXXX XXXX ' refusal to answer ANY of my questions, and because I just wanted to situation to be over, I ultimately did as she suggested. On this same date, I withdrew {$19000.00} in cash and deposited said cash into a XXXX XXXX XXXX account in full and final reimbursement of the XXXX check as follows : Date : XXXX XXXX, XXXX ; Account Holder Name : XXXX XXXX ; Account Number # : XXXX, Amount : {$19000.00} At this point I felt extreme relief that the matter was resolved. Sadly, less than XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX days later, on XXXX XXXX, my Bank notified me that XXXX 's original check in the full amount of {$2900.00} had been returned XXXX. Consequently, not only did my Bank debit that amount from my accounts, they further withdrew NSF fees which left my account with a negative balance, and which only multiplied each time an auto-draft has been presented to my - Bank.