Consumer complaint received 2024-04-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (OH)

On XX/XX/XXXX I wrote a check payable to the XXXX XXXX treasurer in the amount of {$1700.00} for property taxes ( check # XXXX ). 

Upon reviewing my banking app in the coming weeks I saw that check # XXXX cleared in the amount of {$1700.00}. 

6 months later, in XXXX of XXXX I receive the next statement for my property taxes which showed that they never received the {$1700.00} from XX/XX/XXXX and that balance was now delinquent. 

Upon research I was able to pull up the check image and see that the check had been tampered with. The pay to line had been whited out and changed to a personal name. 

Upon noticing this fraud, I reported it to Citizens Bank and filed a fraud claim. At the time of filing I was notified that it could take a few weeks of investigating. In the coming weeks I called multiple times to check on the status and was advising that they were still investigating. I also went twice in person to a branch to check the status. The first time, the teller advised that she could not check status and to call the number I had previously called. The second time, on XX/XX/XXXX, the teller was helpful and looked into the claim. She advised that Citizens bank was still trying to get the funds back from XXXXXXXX XXXX and that once they got the money back I would get the money back but that this could take 6 months. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter in the mail dated for XX/XX/XXXX notifying me that they had reviewed the claim and since it was more than 30 days since the fraud took place, they were denying the claim per their policy. At no point during filing the claim or following up on the claim was I notified of this policy. Furthermore, more than 30 days had elapsed between when the claim was filed and when the decision to deny was made. 

The following day, on XX/XX/XXXX I called the number provided for questions about the claim. The representative simply repeated the information on the notice and did not provide me with any further options. When I requested to speak to a supervisor, she advised that it would be atleast an hour wait, given that I was at work this was not a feasible option. 

After some consideration, I called back on XX/XX/XXXX and asked to speak to a supervisor. I was advised that there was no such option. I then asked the representative, XXXX, if I could appeal the decision given that the fraud was not evident in my banking app. He assisted my with filing the second review and advised that a decision would be made in 3-5 business days. I confirmed my contact information. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called to check the status of the second review given that I had not heard back. The representative, XXXX, advised that she did not see the second review and offered to re-file it. I agreed and it was re-filed. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called again to check the status, the representative with whom I spoke saw the second review and looked into it. He advised me that the claim will remain denied due to the more than 30 days that elapsed between when the fraud occurred and when it was reported. 

As of XX/XX/XXXX, I have not received anything formally about the second review being denied.