Consumer complaint received 2024-08-26
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Can't use card to make purchases
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (TX)

Citibank identified potential fraudulent transactions on my account and failed to notify me. Instead of sending a text message or email to notify me of these transactions, they shut off my card XXXX  days later. This has happened a few times over the years, and each time, I requested to be notified immediately. CFPB, please make this a requirement under the law if it isnt already! Companies MUST notify customers as soon as they detect possible fraud! 
Once my credit card was declined at the grocery store, I called the fraud department. See below for more details, but the XXXX representative I spoke with, authenticated me with a PIN to my mobile phone. We were in the process of closing the account and expediting a new card and the call dropped PLEASE USE LANDLINES CITI!!! He never called me back. 
After a series of other calls, detailed below, in an attempt to find a representative I could hear and would expedite the mailing of a new card ( I leave the country on Friday and this is MY ONLY credit card ), I was told they could not authenticate my account and that I would have to wait XXXX XXXX hours. So, my account remains open and is at risk for even MORE fraud, and I do not have a credit card for my upcoming travel. This is horrible customer service at minimum, but worse, unethical and possibly in violation of the law! My account is still open and subject to more fraud. 

XXXX representative XXXX. Asked me for my mobile number to send PIN to so that they can authenticate my account. I immediately was concerned as a compliance professional who understands authentication practices. The text message should be sent to the phone number on the account, not a random number. I asked to be transferred to the fraud department in the United States. 

XXXX representative I told him the story about the PIN. He explained that they didnt word it correctly. They are supposed to verify the phone number on the account before the PIN is sent ; however, that is not what they said. He sent me a PIN to my mobile. I properly authenticated. He looked at my account and noticed the flagged fraudulent charges on XX/XX/year> ( XXXX XXXX via XXXX I have an XXXX  and have never used XXXX to charge anything. ) I complained that I did not receive any notice from Citi and that I was leaving the country on Friday and need a working credit card. I only have XXXX credit card. Had they notified me immediately, I could have dealt with this well before leaving town and that their negligence is putting me in a bad position! I tell him that I have asked repeatedly to be notified by text. He apologized and started to close the account and issue another card to be XXXX expedited so that I have it for my trip. The call disconnects before he is done. He doesnt call me back to complete closing the account and reissuing a card. AGAIN, PLEASE USE LANDLINES! 

XXXX representative XXXX. I ask to be transferred to a fraud representative in the XXXX ( hoping to get back to the XXXX representative ). 

XXXX representative She tells me that she can not expedite a new card and that it will take over a week which is too late. I tell her the last representative offered XXXX. She is unhelpful and rude, so I ask to be transferred to someone else. 
XXXX representative I can not hear anything she is saying. She sounds like she is talking under water. She tries adjusting her headset. Nothing works. I ask to be transferred. 

XXXX representative He can not authenticate me. He is also very difficult to hear. ( PLEASE USE LANDLINES!!! ) The system will not let him send me a PIN to my mobile phone in order to authenticate so he can not help me. I ask to be transferred to a supervisor. 

XXXX representative/supervisor Confirms that he can not authenticate me, and that I have to wait XXXX XXXX hours. He is also difficult to hear. Meanwhile, my account remains open and is subject to more fraud, and I do not have a credit card for my upcoming trip. This is OUTRAGEOUS! HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.