Me: [Trying to do online banking]
Citibank: We need to verify that you are you.
Me: OK, here is my phone number
Citibank: …
Me: OK, that isn’t working, here is another phone number
Citibank: here is your code ****
Me: [enter code]
Citibank: that isn’t correct, you are locked out
Me: Please unlock me and send me a text message instead of voice prompt
Citibank: OK
Me: Nothing has changed
Citibank: OK
Me: Nothing has changed
Citibank: Let me put you through to technical support
Me: [on hold]
Me: [on hold]
Me: [on hold]
Me: [on hold]
Citibank: [hangs up]
Me: Put me through to technical support immediately
Citibank: OK
Me: No, I need technical support
Citibank Tech Support (CTS): Everything is OK
Me: No it isn’t
CTS: Yes it is
Me: No it isn’t
CTS: Maybe it just takes time for the front end to reflect the changes
Me: OK, but even then I am getting the wrong verification numbers
CTS: Oh, that is a known problem, just keep trying
Me: I can’t, it locks me out of the system
CTS: We are working on it
Me: [silent scream]
CTS: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure.
Me: …
THE END
Note1: This is the short version. This actually took 5 phone calls over two days and a total of several hours.
Note2: I don’t understand why I can’t just use something like the Google Authenticator App or even do 2FA via the Citibank mobile app.
Note3: I was able to set this up fine with other banks, it seems to be a unique problem for Citibank
Note 4: 2008 “The U.S. rescued Citigroup Inc, agreeing to shoulder most losses on about $306 billion of the bank’s risky assets”
