At a Citibank branch in New York on a typical Sunday, January 12, 2025, a sense of normalcy belied the chaos that would unfold online. Numerous Citibank customers were in for a surprise on Wednesday as they found themselves dealing with unexpected fraud alerts and trouble accessing their accounts.
By midday, DownDetector.com, a site that keeps an eye on digital service interruptions, had received reports from hundreds of Citibank users struggling with account issues. The timeline suggested these problems had been plaguing users since at least 9 a.m. Eastern time.
Over on the social media platform X, stories varied. Some customers mentioned receiving fraud alerts, only to face frustratingly long waits with the bank’s fraud department. Others expressed their irritation at being locked out of their mobile accounts entirely.
A representative from Citi did not immediately provide an official comment. However, in a response to a customer on X, a bank spokesperson shared, “No updates at this time. As soon as this issue is resolved, we will connect with you. There is no need to keep checking in unless you want to.”
Another agent kindly advised customers on the same platform, “We are currently working on this and ask that you try calling in another 1-2 hours.”
Earlier on Wednesday, in brighter news for the bank, Citi announced financial earnings that surpassed analysts’ expectations, with several business segments reporting record revenues.
