Consumer complaint received 2025-01-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Can't close your account
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: OR

Complaint narrative:
Around XXXX XXXX  Friday morning, XX/XX/XXXX, I saw two emails from Citibank. The first arrived at XXXX XXXX  approving a Citi XXXX XXXX card in my name. The second email arrived at XXXX XXXX  confirming account activity at Citi Online. I have no accounts with Citibank. Neither of these emails provided an opportuity to report fraud. 

I reached representative, XXXX, at XXXX who canceled the card. She asked for my SS #, and was satisfied when I gave her the last XXXX digits. Our phone conversation started at XXXX XXXX and lasted XXXX minutes XXXX seconds. She said I might receive an email regarding cancellation once the account was investigated, but I did not receive confirmation. 

By XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX, I checked my credit report with XXXX and placed fraud alerts with them and XXXX. I also forwarded the two emails I received to spoofciti.com. I don't know if the card was used, and I did not try to access the online account. I only ever had the last four digits of the account number from the emails. 

At XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX, I called the same Citibank number as above to make sure the acct was closed and to request information as instructed by IdentityTheft.com. It was a good sign that entering the last four digits of the account led me straight to a person this time. XXXX assured me the account had been closed and that I woulld receive a letter confirming a ) the account was not mine, b ) that I was not responsible for any charges, and c ) the account woud not show up on my credit reports. As of XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX business days ago ), I have not received the requested information, or any confirmation that the account is closed. 

Monday morning, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX am, I received a text from Citibank asking me to confirm if I recently opened an account with them, and to call their fraud dept if not ( XXXX ). I called the same number as above first, at XXXX XXXX, knowing I could get through with the last XXXX digits of the account. XXXX hung up on me when I would not provide my complete SS #. This was the first time I heard they could not close the account without my compolete SS #. But I have read online that Citibank security is not to be trusted. I did not understand why is was so hard to close the account, when it appeared that it had been so easy for someone to open it in my name. 

So I tried the XXXX number at XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX and spoke with XXXX for XXXX minutes. He also said they would not close the account without the full SS #, so I provided it. When I got off the phone with him, I filed a complaint with the Federal Reserve. Later that day, I also placed credit freezes at each of the credit bureaus. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  received an email informing me that the physical account card would be delivered that day. I " refused '' the mail with my postal XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX Citibank texts me, confirming that the card was returned, and asking me to call and update my address in their system. 

Sunday XX/XX/XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX I receive a " confirmation '' email from Citibank that my security questions have been updated, for the mobile app or online account. (! ) This time the email gives me a number to call if I did not request this change ( XXXX ). I could not get through to anyone even with my full SS # ; I still do not have the full account number. So I called XXXX again and got XXXX at XXXX XXXX. I was informed that the online account access had not been closed! 

In every call to Citibank, I told them that I had received two emails - one saying I was approved for a card, and the other confirming an online account had been accessed. I again requested the three items listed above regarding charges and my credit reports. XXXX was the first person to express any apology for the sloppy way this identity fraud event had been handled, though, in the next breath, implied that I wasn't doing enough to protect my personal information. I told XXXX I was filing a complaint with the Federal Reserve, and that Citibank was an even bigger contributor to the problem of identity theft by not having adequate measures in place. I am furious, to be sure. 

Their first XXXX emails to me did not provide mechanisms to prevent fraud. I had to XXXX for phone numbers. They list too many numbers to call about fraud. They ask for too much information to get me through to a person. When you don't open the account, you don't have the account number or the security question! Their representatives, in my experience, are inept. They should not require my full SS # to cancel an account. It's not as if my request would cost them money. On none of the calls could anyone provide a reference number for the communication. 

After XXXX calls speaking with Citibank representatives, the saga continues. Today, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX, I received an email from Citibank confirming that I will start receiving statements by mail, " as you requested. ''??? It appears the online account is not yet closed, despite my conversation with XXXX yesterday.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief