Consumer complaint received 2024-09-11 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
# XXXX XXXX Refund check sent to bank by XXXX fin XX/XX/XXXX for returned item bought XX/XX/XXXX. Refund sent to Citibank Checking Account/Debit card used for purchase. That account/card were " hacked '' and new Checking/Savings set up and Debit card were issued XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. Check NEVER returned to XXXX and NEVER deposited into new Checking account/Master Debit Card. MORE THAN 20+ HOURS -- 4 of them " absurdly '' with " Personal Banker XXXX XXXX '' at XXXX XXXX Branch of Citibank from where the claim was made to XXXX Citibank XXXX number by telephone- the remainder during similarly reprehensible refund status inquiry conversations replete with 4 months and counting worth of " check 's in the mail '' representations with an inordinantly LONG list of Citibank Dispute Office Agents ALL in the XXXXwith ridiculous holds as they communicate with " Backoffice '' aka " XXXX '' to which I had NO ACCESS. Given " false '' names from a list purportedly provided to CitiBankDispute agents " to use '' with incoming customers by telephone. Told repeatedly dispute resolved, " Cashier 's check '' along with letter is " In the mail. '' Last time, a few weeks ago, I was told letter accompanying " cashier 's check in the mail '' had to be " recalled to be rewritten?! ( how do you call back a letter accompanying a check that's has been verbally represented as being in the mail in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX -- and it is NOW XX/XX/XXXX -- no check or letter received? It's elder abuse. It's dishonest. It's unconscionably reprehensible and, quite frankly, CRIMINAL! 

Claim # XXXX XXXX Mailed my Rent Check Savings Account # XXXX in the amount of {$360.00} on XX/XX/XXXX from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX NY XXXX XXXX It was " Irregularly '' posted to my Citibank Checking account on XX/XX/XXXX WITHOUT the usual and customary Bank Statement line item withdrawal notation for ALL previous rent check payments to XXXX XXXX XXXX ( for which more than 6 years of monthly rent check payments -- 6yrs.x12 mos ) have appeared/been posted to my monthly Citibank Statements. When I learned with the arrival of my XXXX rent Invoice from XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX that my XXXX rent HAD NOT been received by landlord XXXX XXXX XXXX, I contacted Citibank 's Dispute Office, XXXX XXXX  CitiBank Statement in hand. Those multiple conversations to include the difference in Rent Check # XXXX made out to XXXX XXXX XXXX Statement posting from all other XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Check postings on XX/XX/XXXX with more " first names '' only CitiBank agents in the XXXX -- some previously provided by Dispute Office CitiBank agents -- left me more gobsmacked than the umpteen conversations I'd been having for months with CitiBank Dispute Office agents for the refund check claim cited above! I was told that the one line item posting on XX/XX/XXXX with NO OTHER notation besides Check # XXXX indicated a physical presentation of the check?! I asked what signature appeared on back of check and was told by agent " Money '' ( pronounced, however, " XXXX '' as in the painter ) that it was illegible. I asked her to please email a copy of the front and back of check immediately- which she, amazingly enough did. The back of the check had a less than half inch scribblescrabled supposed " signature '' that isn't even decipherable as two initials. NONETHELESS Citibank accepted and gave {$360.00} of my money to be paid to XXXX XXXX XXXX to " any-old-body '' criminal NOT to XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX! 

I insisted then upon filing a fraud forgery claim with agent " Money '' which she did ( ergo Claim # XXXX ). She then indicated additionally specific/detailed instructions on what was incumbent on me to do with a claim of this sort. Filing this type of Dispute Claim requires that I have XXXX XXXX XXXX ( to whom check was made out and by whom it was NOT received ) complete and have notarized an " Affidavit of Forgery '' that would be mailed to me by Citibank. She emphasized I could NOT fill it out and that it must e sent to to " the exact address '' she then provided. In providing the address, she was unaware of State abbreviations, as well, US punctuation as instead of " apostrophe '' for the city she insisted it was a " Comma ''! Kind of important things to know when providing a " cruial '' mailing address! 

I looked for the " Affidavit of Forgery '' which " Money '' said would be sent from Citibank immediately. I received INSTEAD a document from CitiBank entitled " Statement of Unauthorized Use Form '' with cover letter dated XX/XX/XXXX to be completed and returned no later than 10 days from XX/XX/XXXX NOT by XXXX XXXX XXXX but by me! And, this completed form was not to be mailed but emailed to " XXXX. '' On XX/XX/XXXX emailed the completed Statement of UnauthorizedUse form and emailed it -- then provided a copy of completed form to VP of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

It was NOT until XX/XX/XXXX that I received the awaited since XXXX Affidavit of Forgery to be given to and completed with notarized signature by a XXXX XXXX XXXX principal! The cover letter accompanying the Affidavit with instructions was dated XX/XX/XXXX. It was NOT received by mail until XX/XX/XXXX -- but indicated it must be completed with notarized signature by XXXX XXXX XXXX within no more than 14 days of cover later XX/XX/XXXX date! It was completed, notarized and returned by email on XX/XX/XXXX as requested in cover letter -- also to : XXXX. 

This XXXX ordeal began on XX/XX/XXXX when CitiBank cashed my Savings Account check # XXXX made out to XXXX XXXX XXXX for someone OTHER than XXXX XXXX XXXX -- making me delinquent in XXXX payment and ALSO robbed of {$360.00} to this date of XX/XX/XXXX. 

Would that these were the only two unconscionable fraudulent experiences I have had since becoming a CitiBank XXXX XXXX XXXX customer! Each of these last two, however, have had profound effects on my XXXX XXXX XXXX health! 

I await your intervention and return of these stolen funds!

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