Consumer complaint received 2023-08-17
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. ()

On XX/XX/XXXX I was contacted by Citibank in the XXXX to ask if I recognised a check for {$8500.00}. I replied no and then I called the bank. I live in the XXXX XXXX at the moment. The person I spoke to when I finally got a person to speak with said not to worry it would be resolved in XXXX hours and to call back the next day. I checked my account and saw the {$8500.00} was pending. I assumed they would block the check. The next day I saw it was taken from my account. I called Citibank again and spent three hours on the phone. No one could tell me why the funds were taken from my account after I told them it was not a legitimate check. Then I was advised to close my account for protection and I could open a new one in a few minutes. Although the person I was speaking with knew that I was calling from the XXXX when I tried to open the account I could not because I was in the XXXX and would have to come back to the XXXX to open it. I wasn't planning to come back for a few months so that wasn't a solution. I then asked for my the remainder of the funds in the account {$18000.00} to be transferred electronically into my XXXX Citibank USD account. I was told it could not be done on the phone. I could get a check. I asked how the check would be sent and I was told regular mail. I said I did not want a check for that sum sent regular mail. It should be sent by XXXX. It took me XXXX hours to convince them to do so - I offered to pay. They said they would send me a form to fill out for the investigation. Needless to say the check did not arrive and I had to write to the CEO to get any action and even then it took a few weeks. This money was saved to pay my taxes here ( end of XXXX ) and to pay for lawyers fees ( my husband just passed away ) and I was about to transfer it when this happened to pay these bills. I also was put in a position where I could not receive my XXXX pension payments which went into the account on time. When the check arrived I sent it by recorded mail to XXXX Citibank XXXX account and a few days later when it wasn't in my account I called XXXX Citibank to be told it would take XXXX weeks for the check to be deposited. This is my money and I had no access and still have no access to it. I then contacted XXXX Citibank every day to find out where my {$8500.00} was. I was told I would receive it by XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. When it did not arrive I called every day. No one could tell me anything about the check. Finally last week I was given a tracking number for XXXX. When I asked when it would arrive they could not tell me. I called XXXX and they said they weren't given anything to collect. It is over XXXX weeks and I don't have my money and I have been under considerable stress. This is a lot of money for me and after decades of being a Citibank customer I have been treated abominably. I sent another letter to the CEO and got a letter saying someone would be in touch in 15 days. This is unacceptable. I want action, I want compensation and I want interest. I feel totally impotent.