Consumer complaint received 2026-06-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Can't use card to make purchases
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : CFPB Complaint Repeated Account Restrictions, Failed Verification Procedures, and Inadequate Fraud Department Handling by Citibank Citibank Product : Citi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Citibank Case Number : XXXX Citi Reference Number : XXXX ( provided by Executive Response Unit ) I am filing this complaint regarding Citibank 's repeated restriction of my Citi AAdvantage Executive card account, inconsistent fraud verification procedures, repeated failures to verify my identity despite my cooperation, and the resulting inability to access and use my account. I opened this account approximately XXXX days ago, XX/XX/year>. During that time, my account has been restricted twice for alleged fraud, resulting in extended periods during which I was unable to use the card. The first incident occurred on XX/XX/year>, when a legitimate XXXX transaction for approximately {$160.00} was flagged for suspected fraud. At XXXXXXXX XXXX I contacted Citibank 's fraud department and spoke with an agent named XXXX. XXXX advised that he would place me on hold for several minutes. Instead, the call was disconnected. I immediately called back at XXXX XXXX and spoke with another representative who successfully verified my identity by calling the phone number associated with my account. I was informed that my account had been verified and restored. Within minutes of ending that call, I attempted the same legitimate transaction again and Citibank immediately flagged it for fraud a second time. At XXXX PM, I contacted Citibank 's fraud department again. The representative informed me that they could not verify my identity because it was " after hours '' and instructed me to call back the next day. I requested a supervisor. The supervisor, who identified herself as XXXX, advised that there was nothing further that could be done because a verification letter had already been mailed to me. As a result, my account remained restricted while I waited for a verification code to arrive through the United States Postal Service. This process rendered the account unusable for approximately nine days. On XX/XX/year>, while preparing for travel, I contacted Citibank again seeking assistance. During that call, the representative disconnected the call while I was attempting to explain the situation. On XX/XX/year>, after finally receiving the verification letter, I contacted Citibank and completed the verification process. Agents XXXX and XXXX were professional and helpful in restoring access to the account. Following the initial account restriction, I attempted to resolve the matter directly with Citibank. On XX/XX/year>, I submitted a formal complaint to Citibank 's Executive Response Unit detailing the events surrounding the XX/XX/XXXX account restriction and the difficulties I encountered with Citibank 's fraud department. Citibank acknowledged receipt of my complaint, assigned a case number, and advised that a response would be provided within fifteen days. Despite the matter being under active review by Citibank 's Executive Response Unit, the same issue occurred again before any substantive resolution was provided. On XX/XX/year>, I made a legitimate purchase with XXXX XXXX for approximately {$96.00} to upgrade seats on an upcoming flight. Shortly thereafter, I attempted to purchase additional seat upgrades for approximately {$350.00}. The transaction was declined. When I logged into the Citi mobile application, I discovered that the transaction had once again been flagged as suspected fraud despite being a legitimate purchase made directly with XXXX XXXX. At XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/year>, I contacted Citibank 's fraud department and spoke with an agent identified as XXXX. XXXX attempted to verify my identity using a one-time passcode. After a single attempt, he advised that the verification did not go through. He then placed me on hold and later informed me that he could not verify my identity and that another verification letter would need to be mailed through the United States Postal Service. I specifically informed the representative that I had already completed this exact process only days earlier and that Citibank should be able to review the account history. Despite this, no alternative solution was offered and my account was again restricted pending delivery of another mailed verification letter. This is now the second XXXX verification letter issued within the first XXXX days of account ownership. On XX/XX/year>, after this second restriction occurred, I submitted a supplemental complaint to Citibank 's Executive Response Unit documenting the recurrence of the issue and providing additional information regarding the continued account restrictions. My concerns are as follows : Citibank repeatedly verified my identity and then continued to re-flag legitimate transactions immediately afterward. Different representatives provided contradictory information regarding verification procedures. Citibank repeatedly disconnected calls or failed to adequately assist in resolving the issue. Citibank 's primary solution has been repeated XXXX verification letters, leaving my account unusable for extended periods. The account has been unavailable for a substantial portion of its first month due to repeated fraud restrictions. Citibank has been unable or unwilling to explain what is causing these repeated fraud flags or how they can be avoided. I was prevented from using the premium credit card product for legitimate purchases, including purchases made directly with XXXX XXXX. I lost the ability to earn the enhanced rewards associated with the Citi AAdvantage Executive card because I was forced to use another payment method to complete my travel arrangements. The account was subjected to an additional fraud restriction while the original Executive Response Unit complaint remained under review. I currently maintain multiple Citibank AAdvantage products, including the Citi AAdvantage XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Citi AAdvantage XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Citi AAdvantage XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Citi AAdvantage XXXX XXXX Given my existing relationship with Citibank, I find it concerning that the bank has repeatedly restricted my account while simultaneously failing to provide a reliable verification process that allows me to access and use my account. I am requesting that Citibank : XXXX a comprehensive review of all referenced calls and account actions. Provide a written explanation regarding the cause of these repeated fraud flags. Explain why multiple XXXX verification letters were required within the first month of account ownership. Explain why the account was subjected to another fraud restriction while an XXXX XXXX XXXX investigation remained open. Restore and maintain full account functionality without further unnecessary restrictions. Implement corrective measures to prevent future occurrences. Provide an appropriate resolution for the loss of account access, travel disruption, lost rewards opportunities, and significant time spent attempting to resolve these issues. I respectfully request that Citibank provide a formal written response addressing the concerns outlined above. XXXX XXXX

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 explanation