Incredible US banking ineptness

[bradiston]

22 hours ago, bubblegum said:

Just open a Wise account, it's in Belgium with a Belgium bank nr. and IBAN.

A Wise Euro account you mean? A Wise $ account is held in New York. A £ one in City of London.

[Crazy Noobie]

When I have an issue with my credit cards or anything that is located in the USA, I call the company during their normal business hours. This way I NEVER get a Call Center. As most Call Centers are used outside normal business hours for that company. Being in Thailand, that means I have to call during my usual sleeping hours. 

[JackGats]

On 10/2/2024 at 11:49 AM, BigStar said:

 

Oh, just close the account and use a Thai account. I never have any trouble w/ my Thai banks or Thai credit card. 🙂 

Do you own 600k USD in shares? How do you bring that to Thailand?

[Presnock]

17 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

No, as a US citizen you can't open a bank account with a US bank. Almost all banks and brokerages require that you have a permanent US address to apply. And they might also run a credit check. You might be able to open an account if you have an address in the US that you can use but you run the risk that they will close it if they find out you're living overseas

this is a false statement.  I an American citizen living in Thailand over 20 years no US address or phone number for more than 10 years opened a bank acct go t credit card etc with very little problem.  There are US banks that will open accounts for Americans without a US address  and/or a US phone number.

[bubblegum]

1 hour ago, bradiston said:

A Wise Euro account you mean? A Wise $ account is held in New York. A £ one in City of London.

Yes I was talking about euro when I commented.

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, JackGats said:

Do you own 600k USD in shares? How do you bring that to Thailand?

 

The old-fashioned way: bank transfer. 

[OneManShow]

On 10/1/2024 at 8:55 AM, jaywalker2 said:

And even when you report a fraud, they act like they don't care.

Those who can open any type of account on some others name, definitely have some connections in the financial institute. It is not possible to change addresses, phone numbers and emails without having someone inside. 

[Hamus Yaigh]

On 10/1/2024 at 8:55 AM, jaywalker2 said:

But this credit card account was using my email address and the name on the email account. So as a courtesy, instead of just blocking it, I called up Citibank to report a fradulent credit card account. First of all, it took me several phone calls just to talk to a representative. Then it was not the right representative, I had to  be transferred, they transferred to the wrong place, I had to be transferred again, I was cut off. I had to call back.

Why would anyone go to the trouble of doing this? Just flag the email as spam and forget it! Besides no bank would send a statement to an email account.

[flexomike]

21 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

No, as a US citizen you can't open a bank account with a US bank. Almost all banks and brokerages require that you have a permanent US address to apply. And they might also run a credit check. You might be able to open an account if you have an address in the US that you can use but you run the risk that they will close it if they find out you're living overseas

Without a US address it is getting harder to even maintain a US account, last month my IRA holder found out that I now live in Thailand and they froze the account, no trades no stocks, only cash in the account now. Luckily my main bank and credit card are still ok for now. Get this I now have to make 90 day reports to my US credit card company letting them know that I am on vacation in Thailand. Getting to be too much stress for me. Lets ad the possiblity of having to pay taxes in Thailand on top of everything else.

[Dan O]

On 10/2/2024 at 5:28 PM, gamb00ler said:

I think it likely that there is some miscommunication between you and the Citibank customer service representative.

 

How likely is it for Citibank to issue a credit card in a fake name (without documentation) that presumably has no credit history?

Wells Fargo was found guilty of doing exactly this. They were opening fake CC accounts, mortgages and car loans a few years back.  Apparently they had some quota system in place and the staff and middle managers were all in on the ploy.

 

During the big short leading up to 2008 in the US,   tons of mortgages were issue with no back ground checks or documentation.

 

Anything is possible if there's a will to do it.

 

in this situation there may have been some type of data breach and scammers are involved. They could be linked to the account and use it to siphon off small amounts repeatedly. Under a certain threshold those charges are just written off and filed against their insurance. 

[JackGats]

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

The old-fashioned way: bank transfer. 

<deleted>! You don't transfer a stock portfolio by bank transfer. You have never owned a stock portfolio obviously.

[NoDisplayName]

23 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

I told her to check the social security number and compare the name with the name on the account. They can't match, so that should be proof but she wanted my personal details as well.

 

Of course she did!  You're just a random yahoo calling an 800-number call center demanding info on accounts.

 

You bet they're gonna make you prove your identity before they give you account information.

[NoDisplayName]

17 minutes ago, JackGats said:

<deleted>! You don't transfer a stock portfolio by bank transfer. You have never owned a stock portfolio obviously.

 

I believe you CAN transfer a partial or entire stock portfolio between brokers.  Set up an account at new broker, fill out a transfer form to do an ACATS for a direct transfer. 

 

Similar to a bank transfer using ACH.  Same-same but different.

[jaywalker2]

6 hours ago, Presnock said:

this is a false statement.  I an American citizen living in Thailand over 20 years no US address or phone number for more than 10 years opened a bank acct go t credit card etc with very little problem.  There are US banks that will open accounts for Americans without a US address  and/or a US phone number.

Could you please name them? I just tried to open an Ally bank account and was refused even though I had a US address because of my lack of credit history. I tried to open a Vanguard account and they refused because they suspected I wasn't in the US. I have an account Citibank but they will not issue me a credit card because I'm living abroad.

 

So, please, I would be very happy to know which bank would let me open an account from Thailand and issue me a credit cards using my Thai address.

[jaywalker2]

32 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Of course she did!  You're just a random yahoo calling an 800-number call center demanding info on accounts.

 

You bet they're gonna make you prove your identity before they give you account information.

Did you read anything I wrote? I didn't ask for account information. I had the account information -- I had the name, the email address, the last 4 digits of the credit card number, the balance in the account. And I told her that I had never applied for this credit card. Why would she need my social security number to investigate whether the account is fraudulent?

[jaywalker2]

2 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

Why would anyone go to the trouble of doing this? Just flag the email as spam and forget it! Besides no bank would send a statement to an email account.

Maybe because I don't want a fraudulent credit card account associated with my email? And maybe because I thought Citibank would be interested in knowing that somebody had taken out a credit under a false name?

 

Your Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® statement is ready, so have a look and schedule your payment or enroll in AutoPay today.

Statement Summary Statement Date: September 26, 2024 Statement Balance: $99.00 Minimum Payment Due: $41.00 Payment Due Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 Available Credit: $5,301

Would you rather receive emails without your balance and Minimum Payment Due? Click Here

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

7 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

Did you read anything I wrote? I didn't ask for account information. I had the account information -- I had the name, the email address, the last 4 digits of the credit card number, the balance in the account. And I told her that I had never applied for this credit card. Why would she need my social security number to investigate whether the account is fraudulent?

 

Because YOU are a random yahoo calling in to "check" info on an alleged fake account.

 

The rep can take the info and send it to the proper office, but isn't going to access the files for YOU in realtime.

 

You might be a scammer that got a'hold of some illicit cc info, but need one or two more bits to run your scam.

[NoDisplayName]

14 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

 

Your Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® statement is ready, so have a look and schedule your payment or enroll in AutoPay today.

Statement Summary Statement Date: September 26, 2024 Statement Balance: $99.00 Minimum Payment Due: $41.00 Payment Due Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024 Available Credit: $5,301

Would you rather receive emails without your balance and Minimum Payment Due? Click Here

 

 

 

Did you notice that the link you posted above is active?

 

It leads to fm.info6.citi.com and a fake citi webpage saying

 

  Hello Jay

from a yahoo email account.

 

What was the return email address from the email you received?

 

 

[jaywalker2]

24 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Did you notice that the link you posted above is active?

 

It leads to fm.info6.citi.com and a fake citi webpage saying

 

  Hello Jay

from a yahoo email account.

 

What was the return email address from the email you received?

 

 

No, of course I didn't click on any links. This is the email address: [email protected]

 

When I called Citibank, they seemed to indicate that it was a legitimate account although admittedly I had soe difficulty understanding the representative because of the poor quality of the call. She made no mention of a phishing scam.

 

Heere's a Reddit post on the same theme:

So I’ve been getting a lot of realistic emails and phone calls from Citi Bank saying I have applied for a card and it was accepted and being shipped to me, even though I have NEVER even so much as even thought about getting a Citi card. The street address in the email was correct, and they even left me a message with a callback number and reference number. I tried calling the callback numbers and it just says called failed.

I also tried contacting Citi Bank directly about this from the number listed on their website and not only was the fraud prevention agent very rude and extremely hard to hear due to a terrible quality mic, they demanded my ssn, which I refused to share. I work in tech and know a phish when I see one, so despite how realistic and accurate these calls and emails seem to be I have to assume it is phishing. Citi bank support absolutely sucks and is totally unhelpful. I looked up the email domains and phone numbers and most posts/sites seem to say they’re not fraudulent?

FYI, the emails usually come from [email protected] or [email protected] and the phone numbers were 8664933599 and +1 (866) 299-2421. Hoping this will at least find someone who’s also experiencing this, and if anyone has a similar experience please shed some light!

[Dan O]

55 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

Did you read anything I wrote? I didn't ask for account information. I had the account information -- I had the name, the email address, the last 4 digits of the credit card number, the balance in the account. And I told her that I had never applied for this credit card. Why would she need my social security number to investigate whether the account is fraudulent?

A ss number is associated with an account when its opened. The account info with or without your info would verify if its considered a valid account tied to you.  Why the concern about disclosing your SS number. They already have it on any accounts you have with them. If the account doesnt have it then its not tied to you legally if the name is fake and they only have an email address, which mean nothing. Anyone could call that has the fake info and claim its their account. That info is available on any paper statement thrown in the trash. You ask for their help to close the account but refuse to give them the info so they to do that. And now your surprised they didnt help?????

[gamb00ler]

On 10/2/2024 at 7:39 PM, jaywalker2 said:

No, as a US citizen you can't open a bank account with a US bank. Almost all banks and brokerages require that you have a permanent US address to apply. And they might also run a credit check. You might be able to open an account if you have an address in the US that you can use but you run the risk that they will close it if they find out you're living overseas

Schwab will open an International brokerage account for residents of Thailand.  They do required a minimum of 25K US$ but that can probably include IRA/Roth/SEP accounts.  I used their debit card to transfer the funds needed when we built our house.  I think they offer every service a normal bank offers except safety deposit boxes and they don't handle cash deposits/withdrawals.

 

I've been a Schwab customer since '87 and am very satisfied.  If I have a question I log into my account and have an online chat with a representative.  I've always received quick and accurate answers in those chats.  That service is available 24/7.  The know I'm in Thailand but the address on my account is still in US.

[gamb00ler]

1 hour ago, jaywalker2 said:

Could you please name them? I just tried to open an Ally bank account and was refused even though I had a US address because of my lack of credit history. I tried to open a Vanguard account and they refused because they suspected I wasn't in the US. I have an account Citibank but they will not issue me a credit card because I'm living abroad.

 

So, please, I would be very happy to know which bank would let me open an account from Thailand and issue me a credit cards using my Thai address.

Many AN members have recommended State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU) for US citizens that reside in Thailand.  I've read that at least one AN member successfully opened an account for his wife using their Thai address.  He's a regular poster about financial/tax matters.

[jaywalker2]

4 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Schwab will open an International brokerage account for residents of Thailand.  They do required a minimum of 25K US$ but that can probably include IRA/Roth/SEP accounts.  I used their debit card to transfer the funds needed when we built our house.  I think they offer every service a normal bank offers except safety deposit boxes and they don't handle cash deposits/withdrawals.

 

I've been a Schwab customer since '87 and am very satisfied.  If I have a question I log into my account and have an online chat with a representative.  I've always received quick and accurate answers in those chats.  That service is available 24/7.  The know I'm in Thailand but the address on my account is still in US.

That's true but that's different. Schwab is a brokerage not a bank for one thing. And you have to apply through their international division, which only handles clients who live outside the US. You can't apply for a regular Schwab account. You can get a brokerage account at Interactive Brokers as well. But neither one is going to issue you a credit card. To get a credit card, you have to in principle be a permanent resident of the US (or so I have been told).

 

Citibank offers Global Executive Banking, which allows you to live overseas and have a foreign phone number. But again this is a special division of Citibank that focuses on global clients. So there are exceptions obviously but in principle most banks and brokerages won't deal with people who live abroad.

[gamb00ler]

On 10/2/2024 at 7:35 PM, jaywalker2 said:

Well, that was my exact question. I asked her if they issue credit cards without checking the application. She had no answer, of course.

Are you a Citibank customer?  Are you certain you were talking to an employee of Citibank?  Did you call a number that was given in the email or did you go online to find the Citibank number?

 

It sounds like you are not a Citibank customer.  If you are a customer why would you feel uncomfortable giving them your name and account number?

 

There are some inconsistencies about your interaction with the customer service representative on the phone.  That has made me wonder if you were actually talking with a real Citibank employee.

[jaywalker2]

21 minutes ago, Dan O said:

A ss number is associated with an account when its opened. The account info with or without your info would verify if its considered a valid account tied to you.  Why the concern about disclosing your SS number. They already have it on any accounts you have with them. If the account doesnt have it then its not tied to you legally if the name is fake and they only have an email address, which mean nothing. Anyone could call that has the fake info and claim its their account. That info is available on any paper statement thrown in the trash. You ask for their help to close the account but refuse to give them the info so they to do that. And now your surprised they didnt help?????

They can check the social security number on the account and see if it matches the name. Why do they need my personal details?

[jaywalker2]

Just now, gamb00ler said:

Are you a Citibank customer?  Are you certain you were talking to an employee of Citibank?  Did you call a number that was given in the email or did you go online to find the Citibank number?

 

It sounds like you are not a Citibank customer.  If you are a customer why would you feel uncomfortable giving them your name and account number?

 

There are some inconsistencies about your interaction with the customer service representative on the phone.  That has made me wonder if you were actually talking with a real Citibank employee.

I'm sorry, I know it's difficult, but you actually have to read what I wrote. Otherwise, don't bother commenting.

[gamb00ler]

2 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

I'm sorry, I know it's difficult, but you actually have to read what I wrote. Otherwise, don't bother commenting.

Before my last post, I read your OP several times.  Not once do you say if you currently have an account with Citibank.  You also did not mention what number you called or how you determined which was the number to reach Citibank. 

 

Now you become quite rude.

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

<deleted>! You don't transfer a stock portfolio by bank transfer. You have never owned a stock portfolio obviously.

 

I never said, implied, or suggested anything about transferring a stock portfolio, and the topic has nothing to do with a stock portfolio.

[JackGats]

10 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

I never said, implied, or suggested anything about transferring a stock portfolio, and the topic has nothing to do with a stock portfolio.

Oh sorry then. I thought you did suggest something about tranferring a stock portfolio.

 

 

[jaywalker2]

9 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Before my last post, I read your OP several times.  Not once do you say if you currently have an account with Citibank.  You also did not mention what number you called or how you determined which was the number to reach Citibank. 

 

Now you become quite rude.

This is what I wrote originally:

"I called up Citibank to report a fradulent credit card account. First of all, it took me several phone calls just to talk to a representative. Then it was not the right representative, I had to  be transferred, they transferred to the wrong place, I had to be transferred again, I was cut off. I had to call back.

 

Finally, I reached somebody who ostensibly could help me and I duly reported that my email address and the name on the account had been used fradulently to take out a credit card."

 

So, yes, it was really Citibank. I got the number originally from the Citibank contact page.

 

And what difference does it make if I have a Citibank account?  The name on the credit card account and the email account isn't mine. Why do they need my personal details?