Consumer complaint received 2024-04-20
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. (IL)

On XX/XX/2024 I made a cash deposit to ATM at Citibank XXXX XXXX on XXXX XXXX XXXX in the lobby of the bank. As I was making the deposit the machine went down and rebooted. As I was waiting to finalize my transaction, a gentleman tapped me on my shoulder and said sir you dropped some money. I looked down and there was a {$5.00} bill by my feet. I stooped down to pick it up and then finished my transaction and took my card out of ATM machine. 

When looking at my receipt I thought my balance should be higher and went into the bank and told the agent that the ATM was acting up and I thought I should have a higher balance in my account. She escorted to a teller who asked me to put my ATM in the portable device on her desk and put my XXXX digit pin number in. I entered the pin and she said wrong pin. I said that could not be. I tried again and she again said wrong pin. I said that can't be possible. She said I need for you to speak to XXXX. At this time, I was upset as I knew I should have a higher balance and wondering if the machine malfunctioned and did not credit me correctly. 

The Manager told me be patient as she was taking care of another customer. Her name was XXXX XXXX. I was agitated and she said sir I will see you as soon as I am finished. Once she was finished, she asked me to come into her office and asked me to for my bankcard. She then asked me to enter my XXXX digit code as the outside teller had done. I told her this will be the third time and something should be wrong. She then said wrong pin code. I said what is going on. She says sir is this your card. I read the card and was in shock as it was different name and not my card! I said how cold this be. I just made a deposit in your lobby with my card. 

She said can you think of how you may have ended up with someone else 's card in the XXXX minutes you were in the bank? I went through all my actions of entering the bank, making the deposit in the lobby ATM, questioning my balance on receipt and then recalled the gentleman that tapped my on my shoulder telling me I dropped {$5.00}. We both assessed that when I stooped down to pick up the {$5.00} this guy must have switched cards in those quick XXXX seconds it took me to stoop down. I had no idea when I ended my deposit that I was holding a different ATM card as that was the card that popped out of the machine when I ended my transaction. 

The manager then says I see there was {$400.00} withdrawl and {$1000.00} withdrawl with your card at the XXXX XXXX XXXX next door while I was sitting in her office. She said let 's put a stop on your card which we did. She called fraud department and we made a report. The reference number is XXXX and said it would take XXXX weeks to complete investigation. I told them all they had to do was look at the video in their lobby, and also look at the video of the XXXX XXXX and make a police report. She said calling the police was not necessary and to just let the investigation take it's course. 
Also, Citibank 's video will show I never left Citibank as all of this was taking place. 

Today, I am in shock as I get a letter that XXXX completed their investigation and since correct PIN number was used for these XXXX withdrawls that these we were authorized charges! Citibank never looked at their video! Never spoke to their manager who alerted me of these withrdrawls as I was in her office! These were not authorized charges. How could they say these are authorized when the video will show the guy stealing my card and switching cards, me sitting in the bank, and the manager notifiying me XXXX XXXX  withdrawls as I was sitting in her office! 

I called Citibank to complain of their investigation and they said to file an appeal. I had to wait on phone for an hour and filed an appeal XXXX This is all frustrating. I spent several hours on hold and calling over XXXX times to get this resolved.