Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Citibank
Iowa
United States

I was the victim of a scam, facilitated through my Citibank credit card which I held for 10+ years. I authorized a $50 charge to my card on a written contract which was altered by the "merchant" by eliminating the decimal point and was charged $5000 instead. The "merchant" turned out to be a known and convicted thief, forger and impersonator with a criminal record and had built a business on similarly scamming others. Unfortunately, I found this out too late. <br />
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On the other hand, I don't have a single blemish on any of my personal or business records. In support of his claim for $5000 the "merchant" offered a forged document to his bank and to Citibank, which was easy to prove with a very simple investigation. <br />
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Although they did NOT find any evidence that I had forged any documents or had lied to the bank, they also had NOT checked all of the many references I offered with regard to the "merchant"'s criminal record, pattern of deception and forgery including the undeniable forgery he offered with his claim. <br />
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In the end, for no good reason Citibank chose to side with the "merchant" and refuse my appeals for the disputed charge. In their decision, they extrapolated their authority well beyond the boundaries of the specific charge in question (which is all they have responsibility for) and were influenced by an artfully crafted, yet still a swiss-cheese contract that was nothing but a scam from the start. <br />
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Don't expect your outstanding credit record to mean anything to Citibank. Instead, expect them to favor criminals to good customers. Also, do not expect due and fair consideration if you are faced with unauthorized use of your card and credit. Instead, expect a poorly executed "investigation", no personal communication whatsoever with anyone knowledgeable about your dispute, and no concern about being openly ripped off by known criminals. <br />
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When this is resolved, they will have one less good customer.