Consumer complaint received 2025-12-02 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
In XXXX of this year, someone entered a Citizens branch XXXX miles from our home and fradulently withdrew {$4000.00} from our account. The teller gave the person entering the bank our account number and allowed fradulent depoits and a withdrawl. 

We were given our money back ( the amount in there prior to the fraud and no more ) and then Citizens decided that we stole the money, so they took our next direct deposits. We asked them to close the account multiple times prior to the next payday, so we did not know that they had processed the fraud as a neagative balance in our old checking account. When we saw that the account was not closed and that our direct deposits were swallowed by the negative balance from the fraud, we assumed it was an error until we were told that they thought we stole the original money. This was completely insulting since we had been customers of Charter One and Citizens for over 35 years. And we were accused of theft by them. 

The XXXX, Ohio police detectives helped us to subpoena the tapes from the branch and prove that this was not done by us but instead by a " ring '' who perpetrates these types of frauds. 

We filed a complaint with the CFPB, after probaby XXXX phones calls with Citizens, because no one would help us. Someone finally called back and offered to help resolve the issue. The account was reconciled and we we received our direct deposits back. We closed the account and thought the issue was finally settled. 

NOW.... MORE PROBLEMS... 

In XXXX, we started receiving calls about a {$500.00} balance that we owed to settle our overdraft account. This overdraft was connected to the checking account that was closed. Citizens decided not to close the overdraft account because in their reconciliation, they missed the {$500.00} belonging in there. Our overdraft due at the time of the fraud was {$0.00}. We did not receive this {$500.00} in any way whatsoever. Since then, we have been getting phone calls from Citizens asking for this money. They keep insisting that it is our responsibilty to replace the money that they " moved '' that contributed to the negative balance in our old account. They have even told us that we withdrew the money from the checking account after it was " moved '' from the overdraft. That is impossible because the negative balance was several XXXX dollars, so the {$500.00} disappeared into nothingness when they " moved '' it. When we explain the situation we are told that the person on the other end of the line " can't help us ''. They have filed a investigation into the matter that we were told would take XXXX weeks. We have heard nothing about the investigation and keep getting calls asking for the money and reports sent to the credit bureau. We have tried to call XXXX XXXX the person who we dealt with after the first CFPB complaint ) more then once. XXXX will not call us back. Her direct line is XXXX. 

We are trying to rectify this but refuse to pay something we do not owe -- especially from a bank that has made the last 5 months of our lives incredibly difficult -- and with little compassion. We have dealt with late payments, missed scheduled debits, multiple phone calls to try to get extended time to make payments due to a lack of a bank account and a lack of money, all due to Citizens bank. It is beyond frustarating that after all of this and their complete lack of caring for our situation, that we are still dealing with this. We would appreciate any assistance in dealing with this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation