Consumer complaint received 2024-07-29 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
Date : XX/XX/year> XXXX XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/year> XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Scammed transaction Dispute {$900.00} on Citi bank credit card. 

First dispute on XX/XX/year> XXXX XXXX XXXX, after XXXX hours later I found it out I was scammed, called Citi bank what happen to me, ( the scammers stolen my personal information, faked the email and claimed they are XXXX XXXX customer service to trick me to pay them, please read the following of the letter ), I needed to dispute or cancel this transaction immediately. Citi bank refused, they said I must wait the transaction completed then open the dispute case. 

The second dispute on XX/XX/year> to Citi Bank, the dispute paper is about the normal merchant ( purchase or service ), but my case is scammed, no services, no purchases. I wrote the email about what happened and attached the scamming email ( with the phone number and email address, which the email and phone number can easily be found from internet, because a lot of a lot of people who are travelling have been scammed by them and paid for nothing ). 

XXXX XXXX days later, Citi bank refused my dispute again with their notification, asked me to request to the " scammers ''. Actually, I tried, no one pick up the phone. 

The third dispute on XX/XX/year>. I wrote an email again attached the scammed email image, which is the only evident I have. 
I requested Citi bank investigation team to look into my case and reopen the dispute case. 
XX/XX/year> I called Citi bank credit card dispute team again, they asked me to wait. 

I waited until my statement came, Citi bank never tried to do anything about the case. 
I called their dispute team again, the lady said the transaction is non-refundable, she spoke so fast to stop me talking and hang up on me. Then Citi back sent me " non-refundable '' notification to remind me to pay the {$900.00}. 

Credit card is supposed to be a shield to credit card holders, the scam should be stopped at the first place, not letting the crime take victims money. That the big reason people choose credit cards. I cherish my personal good credit, I pay off my credit card bills each month. 

Appreciate your time to look into my case, please kindly help me to stop the transaction to go to the bad people. I am sending the Scam Report to government too, I would like to help other people to know and be alert this kind of scam during their trips. If you need further information, please let me know. 

Please read the following experience happened to me, My daughter and I were at my parents home ready to go to XXXX on XXXX afternoon XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX delayed, I wanted to reach out XXXX XXXX to know what happened, because me and my daughter had a connection airflight from XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX would be affected. 

I called the phone number from internet, the guy picked up the phone claimed himself is from XXXX airline. He asked my ticket reference number and said because the delay and overbooked, all the passengers are standby, we can not get on the connection airflight to XXXX unless we pay {$900.00} for XXXX tickets. I was eager to go back home, did not think straight, gave him the credit card. ( I found out later, he used my ticket reference number to search my ticket to fake the email ) Notice here : first time charge was my XXXXXXXX XXXX credit card, XXXX blocked them immediately. The guy asked for another credit card, I gave the Citi bank Costco credit card. 

At the same time, they faked a so-called acknowledgement email sent to us, didnt mention any service, just the charge {$900.00}. 

I felt a little weird, XXXX hours later I got to XXXX XXXX I talked to XXXX Airline staffs about the email and charge, she looked the email and said the email is not from XXXX XXXX, they never charged me or other passengers for getting on the connection flight, because the delay would be XXXX hour delay, means we can not catch on the XXXX flight back to LAX at XXXX I realized I was scammed, I called Citi bank credit card to report the dispute at the the airport, {$900.00} transaction was pending. Citi bank customer service asked me to wait the transaction complete and then open the case. 

The feeling was horrible of being scammed and conned, the same time they even had my home address and my other personal information! I searched online, this AIRFARE and email ReservationDesk.com are totally scammers, they are skilled of conning people and taking advantage of their situation. 


Our flight was delayed XXXX, we arrived at XXXX was XXXX, there was no way to catch the XXXX am connection international airplane to XXXX. I asked the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX again and showed him the email. He said the email without XXXX XXXX is not from XXXX, and he checked the system, XXXX XXXX never charged me {$900.00} for any service. Instead, XXXX airline helped me and my daughter to stay at the hotel that night and arrange us to get on the international flight next morning without any fees.

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 non-monetary relief