Consumer complaint received 2024-12-23 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I've been a loyal Citibank customer since the XXXX. On XX/XX/year>, I was a victim of a wire fraud/scam on my business checking account totaling a loss of {$48000.00}. The Citibank Fraud Department was able to stop several fraudulent wires being prepared, however it did send out the wire of {$48000.00}. Regarding this fraudulent wire, the Citibank Fraud Department Representative advised me to file police and FBI reports and to personally visit my local Citibank branch so that the funds could be recouped by the Recoupment Department as the recipient account at a XXXX XXXX XXXX  in XXXX had been immediately identified. I did as instructed on the same day as the fraud itself, yet Citibank has not retrieved or returned the funds, and now, has denied the fraud claim while offering no explanation whatsoever. 

This outcome is completely unacceptable. Citibank was immediately aware that a fraud was in progress and yet the funds left the banks possession. When the fraud was confirmed by me, Citibank did not retrieve the wired funds despite knowing exactly where the funds were located and receiving all requested information from me per the Citibank Fraud Departments instructions. Its important to note that the sum of {$48000.00} was neither invoiced nor legitimately sent by me. The funds were obtained under fraudulent pretenses. I had no way to know that the call I received was from a fraudster because the call originated from a legitimate Citibank phone number ( and yet, I also diligently called to confirm that the number was still valid ) and the fraudster used the same identification process used by Citibank employees to verify himself. That the fraudster had access to my recent transactions means that Citibank failed in managing confidential client data. Citibank bears responsibility for the fraud committed. Not me. Citibanks silence on providing an explanation of why the fraud claim was denied, much less a clear and thorough explanation, is deafening. Therefore, I demand that Citibank : 1 ) take immediate corrective action and return the {$48000.00} to my business account and 2 ) demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding my loyal customers assets.

Here are the critical facts that demonstrate that my actions were entirely reasonable : The morning of the fraud, I received multiple calls from XXXX, the number listed on the back of my Citibank business card. 
The caller had detailed knowledge of my account and transactions, which strongly suggested a Citibank-backed verification and indicates that Citibank failed to protect my data.

The fraudster, having provided multiple indicators of his validity as a Citibank representative, used our my longstanding trust of Citibank against me due to a belief that Citibanks data and processes could not be utilized in such a manner.

While Citibanks Fraud Department did catch other illicit wire attempts, {$48000.00} still left my account. However, the Citibank Fraud Department representative provided instructions on how to assist the bank in retrieving the funds, all of which our I promptly performed, and yet, the funds have not been returned as promised.

This is not a trivial oversight but a serious breach of trust. I fulfilled every instruction Citibanks Fraud Department advised : I reported the incident to the authorities and gathered file numbers and visited my local branch to provide the information. I even attempted to verify the calls directly with the phone number on my card as well as by calling the number to verify the number was still valid. Yet Citibank has refused to restore the stolen funds, leaving me without any meaningful explanation. I have never doubted my trust in Citibank for these many years, but this breach of confidence raises serious questions about Citibank 's services and ability to prevent and handle fraud. 

I have my local police department case number as well as the one from the FBI, both filed on XX/XX/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 monetary relief