Consumer complaint received 2024-07-18
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (CA)

Citibank put a hold on our account # XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, on XXXX, 2024 or thereabout, ( approximately XXXX daysago ) withoutany notification or providing any reasons. 

When Logging on the online account, we received the only message " account blocked ''. 

This event happened immediately upon a large wire transfer of {$120000.00} on XX/XX/2024 from the US Department of Treasury for a XXXX XXXX completed by us for the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX paid to our above-mentioned account through their IPP Portal. 

Upon immediately contacting the customer service department, which after ( consistent ) long wait ( s ) and going back and forth, and upon demanding to speak to the department who had the answer passes the call to the fraud department, who also are unable or unwilling to provide any explanations, except that we would be getting a letter in the mail within 6 days with information and also when the funds would be released to us within 30 to 60 days. 

Since then we have been reaching out to the customer service/fraud/security departments and thebranch where the account was opened, who give the same canned answer that we would be receiving a letter in the mail within 6 days, and that they did not have any more information to convey. 

After constantly calling, visiting and waiting upto 30 days, went to the Citibank branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA XXXX. The personal banker XXXX XXXX XXXX agreed and spoke to the fraud/security department and cameback with the same answer that we should be receiving a letter and checkfor theamount in the account in the mail within 6 days, and that she could not provide any other information. 

We continued waiting and contacting the customer service/fraud/security departments after the XXXX day of visiting XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX and around the XXXX day after the account being blocked were given the instructions by the customer service/fraud/security department that they could not provide any information except to go to the branch and thebranch manager would give us the cashier check. 

Upon personally contacting by visiting the branch manager XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), who finally agreed to contact via email their " back office ''. We continued visiting her for a fewdays and she finally gave theanswer that she was informed that she had no authority to release any funds as it has to be done by the bank 's back office. 

I insisted that she contact her superiors as we were being given the unnecessary runaround. She committedthat she would get her superiors involved to get us an answer as to the release of our funds. 

We have been visiting her quite regularly for over the past three weeks and she responds that she has not heard back from her superiors as of Friday XX/XX/2024. 
Upon exhaustingall possible means of working with the Citibank 's personnel 's, it is requested that CFPB kindly get involved to get to the bottom of this matter and to make the bank release our hard earned funds. 

As a small business, a huge sum of severelyneeded business cash flow funds getting blocked by an organization that we put ourtrust in todeal with integrity and honesty, has for no apparent reason or given any information put our business, our employees, our vendors/suppliers and our clients in near jeopardy of our being shut down. 

Please let us knowif there is any further information you require to resolve in this matter Awaiting you early action and response. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX,