Consumer complaint received 2025-02-21 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: KS

Complaint narrative:
XXXX is a scam operation of thieves who steal consumers PII and sell that information to Realtors as a lead generation product. When I figured out they were not getting their information from the consumers like they claimed, I cancelled services and requested a refund. I did not get a refund, and submitted a dispute to my Citi credit card on XX/XX/XXXX so the amount could be returned to me. 

The disputed amount was {$1200.00} ( citi case # XXXX ) and Citi card awarded me the funds on XX/XX/XXXX after reviewing the details I provided about the scam operation. I later noticed that the same merchant ( XXXX ) had charged my card again with out my knowledge for an even higher than the first charge amount. This next amount was for {$2500.00} and I called Citi card again on XX/XX/XXXX to file a dispute for the additional charge and to prevent further charges from occurring from this scamming merchant. My card was cancelled and reissued to prevent further charges from this merchant. The Citi card representative I spoke with on XX/XX/XXXX named XXXX told me this one had to be filed as fraud instead of a dispute since I had no awareness of the charge, but that it was great timing because I had 6 months to dispute the charge and the charge occurred on XX/XX/XXXX so this was the last day I could file a fraud dispute. I was transferred to XXXX in the fraud department and the claim was created for review by the fraud team. 

Unfortunately, the fraud team rejected the claim because they said it should never have been filed as fraud since I had at one point in time knowingly provided my credit card number to the merchant-even though the Citi card representative had told me to file it via the fraud department. This was an error due to Citi representative mishandling, so I called again on XX/XX/XXXX to see what I need to do to get the {$2500.00} issue resolved. After going through the details all over gain, I was connected with a supervisor named XXXX who said the fraud vs dispute department routing gets mixed up all the time and that I just need to submit the dispute now so they can get it cleared up. I was transferred to XXXX in the dispute department and completed the dispute over the phone ( citi case # XXXX ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX another charge hit my card from the same merchant ( XXXX ) and the amount was higher again. The newest charge was for {$3700.00} and I called Citi card on XX/XX/XXXX to see how this merchant was able to still charge my card even after it had been cancelled and a new one reissued? Citi card already knew that I was actively disputing the charges coming from this fraudulent merchant and they did nothing to take any steps to secure my account. The supervisor I eventually got to for an answer told me the digital account number was never deleted like it should have been, so the merchant is still able to charge my card. He said I didn't have to worry about this charge since it was still pending and he cleared it out so it won't hit my account balance and he cleared the digital account number so no more charges can come from XXXX 

Unfortunately, this was not true and the charges did hit my account in full. I called Citi card again on XX/XX/XXXX to see what is going on and how I can secure my account from further theft from this scam merchant. XXXX was the manager I was able to reach on XX/XX/XXXX and she informed me that there is no way to prevent charges from hitting the account and that I would need to create a dispute for the newest charge of {$3700.00}. I filed that dispute on XX/XX/XXXX ( citi case # XXXX ) The dispute claims were rejected for both charges : {$2500.00} and {$3700.00} - total {$6200.00}. Citi 's reason for rejecting the dispute is due to age on the {$2500.00} which is because of their mishandling of the claim and having it wrongly routed in their organization on the first attempt. The reason for rejecting the {$3700.00} dispute is because they didn't have enough information. There is no justice in Citi card 's dispute department. I can not speak to anyone of any authority and it takes more than an hour to update their team about my dispute ( s ) whenever I call. They do not respond to the information I have provided them, and they just keep rejecting the claims without any reasoning that is valid or fair. 

Citi card has designed their organization to where you can not speak with anyone of any real authority and there is no accountability for their mistakes and mishandling of my information. They couldn't even lock my account down properly to avoid further theft from a scam operation and now expect me to pay for their negligence. My credit is now in jeopardy of further abuse due to their mishandling and I need help holding them accountable to these disputed charges. 

Thank you

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