Consumer complaint received 2025-05-15 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: KY

Complaint narrative:
I was contacted by a pop up on my laptop in XX/XX/XXXX. It said there was a problem with my account and to call some number. I called it and the person told me I was a victim of identity theft/fraud due to the Cloud Strike hack and I would have to move my money. I talked to XXXX XXXX who worked for XXXX. She then transferred '' me to " XXXX with the bank. XXXX kept calling me almost everyday until XXXX. They told me to not tell anyone about this, because they dont know who is behind this. Every time XXXX transferred me directly to XXXX, who had an XXXX accent. They told me I had to move the money around to protect it but I was going to get it all back. 

They first had me wire transfer {$30000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX from my XXXX Bank account. XXXX was suspicious of this transfer and stopped it, and returned the money ( minus the wire transfer fee I think ). The transfer was to XXXX XXXX in XXXXXXXX XXXX with the beneficiary XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. They tried this again for {$45000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and the transfer was again stopped and the money returned to me. This transfer was also to XXXX XXXX with the beneficiary as " XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ''. 

The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$24000.00} from my Citibank account to XXXX XXXX. The beneficiary is listed as XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$38000.00} from my Citibank account. The beneficiary was Future Space Limited at XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$26000.00} from my Citibank account. The beneficiary was B R Gems, XXXX at XXXX XXXX Bank. 

The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$18000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$19000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$16000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$14000.00} from my Citibank account. 

They started having me move money from my XXXX Bank account, to XXXX Bank, to Citibank because they discovered that Citibank was letting these wire transfers go through. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$19000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$19000.00} my her Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$10000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$18000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$18000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$19000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$5700.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$8800.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$16000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$10000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$16000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$18000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$8900.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$19000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX ( again ) for {$19000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The next transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$11000.00} from my Citibank account. 
The last transaction was an outgoing domestic wire transfer on XX/XX/XXXX for {$1800.00} from my Citibank account. 

My daughter found out all this was going on and flew to help me on XX/XX/XXXX. We found out all this added up to {$400000.00} that Citi let me wire transfer. I have never moved money in this manner before. We called to submit the fraud complaint and try to recover some of the money. We also filed a police report. Citibank has ultimately said they are " unable to reach the XXXXXXXX XXXX to obtain a return of the funds '' for the first XXXX transactions. For all the remaining transactions, we have received a letter stating " We have completed our investigation of your fraud claim ( for the remaining {$310000.00} wire transferred between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ). Please note that it has been denied. Our decision was based on -the above referenced transactions were verified using an authentication process with your device ( s ) and/or confidential information. Pursuant to Citibank 's security procedures, the payment order was therefore accepted as your authenticated request. As such, we are unable to honor your claim. '' They said on the phone they might be able to recover some of the money from the XXXX most recent months of transactions, but it seems as if they gave up very quickly in recovering my money. We received that letter XXXX days after reporting the fraud. 

I think if my small local bank ( Truist ) was able to flag these as fraudulent activity, Citi should have been able to do so as well. It seems they were negligent. Possibly they should have verified when the receiving account was opened and who opened it. Was ID asked for? Did they verify their identity with another source like Equifax? 

The local detective with the XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX department said Citi are now struggling to comply with his grand jury subpoena request. He was able to find that XXXX XXXX XXXX is on the " currency cloud '' ( whatever that means ) and that XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank in XXXX XXXX is a XXXX XXXX XXXX with an XXXX postal index number. 

Citibank is doing absolutely nothing to help with this and I have been a customer with them for over XXXX years. Is there anything the CFPB can do to help me recover some of this money? Aren't banks insured up to {$100000.00} for its customers?

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 explanation