Consumer complaint received 2025-04-21 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I have had the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, a credit card issued by Citi, since XXXX. I have always paid my credit card bills in full and on time. I live in New York state. I am XXXX XXXX XXXX and do not travel out of state extensively. I am submitting a complaint regarding XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX handling of unauthorized charges on my credit card account. Despite my repeated efforts to call and provide information that the charges were unauthorized, the company has failed to : ( 1 ) sufficiently investigate the issue; ( 2 ) remove the unauthorized charges ; and ( 3 ) provide any explanation for why I was not alerted regarding extensive fraudulent charges that should have been quickly flagged as suspicious, and why these fraudulent charges were allowed to exceed my credit limit. 

My XX/XX/XXXX statement for the billing period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX showed a balance of {$9800.00} ( see Attachment, pages 1-4 ). I was floored because my ordinary usage of the credit card is limited to approximately {$100.00} per month. The statement contained only two charges that I did authorize : ( 1 ) the XX/XX/XXXX charge for XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$85.00}, and ( 2 ) the XX/XX/XXXX charge for XXXX for {$7.00}. Prior to this date, my usage of the credit card was ordinarily limited to these two recurring monthly charges, and I rarely, if ever, use this card physically.

The rest of the balance, {$9700.00}, involving 69 transactions, were all for charges I did not authorize. These charges were made between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX across the country, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Arkansas, being used at physical locations such as at gas stations and restaurants and other stores. I did not travel to these locations, and I did not authorize these charges. I was not alerted regarding any suspicious activity on my account at this time, notwithstanding that these charges are completely out of line with my ordinary usage of the card. Moreover, these charges should have quickly been flagged by XXXX as fraudulent on their face : there were numerous in-person transactions from at least 13 states - some even taking place on the same day, despite being thousands of miles apart. Despite the physical impossibility of me using the credit card in this manner, I was never alerted of the obviously fraudulent activity on my account at this time. 

Upon receiving the XX/XX/XXXX statement and discovering the extensive unauthorized activity on my account for the first time, I called Citis customer service to report the fraudulent charges. I explained that I had not visited any of those locations and did not authorize these charges. I also explained that I only use my credit card for recurring purchases like XXXX and XXXX XXXX ( toll charges ). I was told that the credit card company would investigate the matter. At that time, I also sent a check to the credit card company for {$92.00} for the full balance of the two charges that were actually authorized ( the XXXX and XXXX XXXX transactions ) prior to the payment due date. 

It was only late XXXX or early XXXX that I received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX stating that the company noticed suspicious activity on my account that may have been unauthorized ( see Attachment pages 5-6 ). This was at least several days after I had already alerted Citi regarding the unauthorized transactions. Upon receiving this letter, I called the telephone number on the letter to confirm that the charges on my XX/XX/XXXX statement were unauthorized. Prior to this letter, such as during the period in XXXX XXXX during which there was repeated unauthorized spending in a pattern that does not fit my usual use of this credit card, Citi did not reach out to me at any point to indicate that there was suspicious activity on my account. 

My XX/XX/XXXX statement for the billing period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX showed {$3000.00} in additional charges that I did not authorize ( see Attachment, pages 7-10 ). These charges involved 46 transactions, again made across the country, at locations such as Ohio, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas, at restaurants such as XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and at numerous gas stations. These charges exceeded the credit limit on my credit card account, which I would have never done. Again, I contacted Citi customer service to report the fraudulent charges, and was told that the credit card company would investigate. At the time, I made clear that I still had physical possession of my credit card, had never lost possession of my credit card, had never authorized these charges, and had never authorized anyone else to use my credit card. I also pointed out to Citi that I had been in New York state throughout this period of time, and had not been traveling across the country to incur these charges. For example, there were numerous charges on XX/XX/XXXX, such as at a XXXX in XXXX PA, a XXXX XXXX in Ohio, a XXXX in North Carolina, and a rest stop in Michigan. But on XX/XX/XXXX, I was at the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  in XXXX XXXX, NY, for a doctors appointment ( see Attachment, pages XXXX ). 

In early XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Citi dated XX/XX/XXXX acknowledging that I had notified Citi about unauthorized transaction ( s ) and indicating that we are looking into it and will notify you if we need additional information or when our review is complete. The letter also stated, You will not have to pay the disputed transactions or related charges while they are going through the investigation process. ( see Attachment, page 14 ). 

Also in early XX/XX/XXXX, I called Citi to inquire about the status of the investigation and to confirm, line item by line item, that I had not authorized the charges on the XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX statements. I was told that the investigation would continue. 

Subsequently, in XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Citi dated XX/XX/XXXX titled, Conclusion of XXXX, stating that the information I provided wasnt sufficient to resolve the dispute in [ my ] favor and [ my ] dispute has been closed. ( see Attachment, page 15-16 ). 

Baffled by this letter, I called Citi in XX/XX/XXXX upon receiving this letter to inquire why the investigation had been closed. This required me to endure long wait times and several transfers to different representatives within Citis fraud and investigation teams. During this call, Citi informed me that they closed the investigation because they required additional information that I purportedly had not provided. I was surprised because I had not received any communication from Citi requesting additional information prior to this date. Moreover, the information they requested was simply the same information I had already provided to them during prior calls. Again, I confirmed that the charges were unauthorized and that I had not traveled to any of the locations where the charges had been incurred. I also confirmed that I still had physical possession of my credit card, had never lost possession of my credit card, and had never authorized anyone else to use my credit card. After I repeated this information that I had already previously provided to Citi, the customer service representative for Citis investigation team informed me that the investigation into the unauthorized transactions would be re-opened. During this call, I repeatedly inquired why I had not been alerted of the obviously fraudulent activity in my account, but Citi refused to provide an answer. I also repeatedly inquired why Citi allowed the unauthorized charges to exceed my {$11000.00} credit limit, but again Citi refused to provide an answer. 

My XX/XX/XXXX statement for the billing period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX indicated no new charges, and a total balance of {$12000.00} comprising the previous balance and interest charges ( see Attachment, pages XXXX ). 

In late XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Citi dated XX/XX/XXXX, titled, Conclusion of Investigation, stating that the information I provided wasnt sufficient to resolve the dispute in [ my ] favor and [ my ] dispute has been closed. ( see Attachment, pages XXXX ). 

After receiving this letter, I attempted to call Citi on several occasions in late XX/XX/XXXX to again confirm that the charges were unauthorized. During these calls, I would often endure many hours of wait times. After attempting to get an explanation why the investigation was cancelled, I would continually be transferred to various departments and representatives from Citis fraud and investigation departments, before they eventually just disconnected the calls without resolution.

Although Citi was not willing to resolve the unauthorized charges, in XX/XX/XXXX, it sent me a letter indicating it was giving me an opportunity to request an increase to my credit limit. ( see Attachment, page XXXX ). I found the sequence of events absurd. 

My XX/XX/XXXX statement for the billing period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX indicated no new charges, a total balance of {$13000.00} comprising the previous balance and interest charges and fees ( see Attachment, pages XXXX ). 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Citi dated XX/XX/XXXX, stating We noticed some suspicious activity that we need to verify on your XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and asking me to contact Citi. I again called Citi to confirm that the charges from XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX were unauthorized ( see Attachment, page 28-29 ). After long wait times and numerous transfers within Citis fraud and investigation departments, I finally discussed the investigation of the fraudulent activity on my account with a Citi representative. Just as in the previous instance, Citi informed me that they closed the investigation because they required additional information that I purportedly had not provided. Again, I never received a communication from Citi requesting additional information prior to this date. Again, the information Citi requested consisted of the very same information I had already provided to them during prior calls. And yet again, I confirmed that the charges were unauthorized, that I had not traveled to any of the locations where the charges had been incurred, and that I have always had physical possession of my credit card. 

My XX/XX/XXXX statement for the billing period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX indicated no new charges, a total balance of {$13000.00}, comprising the previous balance, and interest charges and fees ( see Attachment, pages XXXX ). 

Citi has persistently refused to respond to my repeated requests and inquiries regarding the unauthorized charges. Instead, when I call Citi to inquire about the status of this investigation, Citi has consistently routed my call to its collections department and pressured me to pay the outstanding balance, even though I did not authorize these charges. Moreover, my credit score has been negatively impacted by Citis failure to adequately resolve this investigation.

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 monetary relief