As it turned out, your debit debacle wasn't over. Even as the ABC News Fixer began trying to unravel this case, another $2,000 disappeared from your Citibank account – not through QuickPay but through some other mechanism. More on that in a sec.
Our first move was to contact Chase, to try to put the $5,900 back into your Citibank account. We got in touch with one of Chase's media reps and they kicked it up to the executive office, and within a few days the money was back in your Citibank account. Hooray!
But we had barely celebrated that victory when the other $2,000 vanished. That turned out to be an easier fix involving Citibank.
When we asked them about it, they realized that after they credited the two $2,000 debits in the beginning, their system apparently thought it was one transaction being incorrectly credited twice. That triggered the other $2,000 debit. (If you find that confusing, you are not alone.)
Everything was hunky-dory at this point. But then the thief tried one more time – something you learned when Citibank called you to ask whether you'd authorized a withdrawal of $40,000. You assured them you had not, and they stopped that fraud, too.
You told us you think someone obtained your Citibank account number because, in the past, you had given it to customers of your biofeedback business so they could pay you electronically. Whoever obtained it apparently created a QuickPay account using your personal information, and then used it to move money from your Citibank account into their pockets. You have since closed your old Citibank account and opened a new one, a move that should thwart the fraudsters.
Your case made us wonder what protections exist for consumers in this age of electronic payments and receipts. We're always seeing TV commercials with happy people sending or receiving money on the bus or in their bed.
The federal rule that protects consumers in cases of debit card fraud – Regulation E – extends to transactions done with other devices, such as smart phones, according to the FDIC. Under Regulation E, consumers who report fraud linked to a checking account in a timely matter have limited liability –$50 if they report it within two days, and $500 if they report it within 60 days.
However, because your problems occurred with a business checking account, Regulation E did not apply, according to the FDIC and Citibank.
Note to small business owners: Be careful with whatever banking system you use. You might not get a happy ending like Philip's.
Citibank told us they do have multilayered security for their business accounts, though they also stress that customers need to safeguard their codes, user IDs and passwords.
We also talked to Susan Grant, director of consumer protection at the Consumer Federation of America. She says that as banking continues to get easier and electronic payments become more common, it's super important to protect all your information. Said Grant, "The bottom line is, as making payments and transferring funds gets easier and easier, it can also make fraud easier."
Throughout this, we raised three children, and helped with college, weddings and all the other events in life. As we are approaching our “golden years,” we would like to buy a small home.
We have saved for a down payment, and the only outstanding debt we have is a college loan for our son. We also qualify as a first-time buyer since it’s been so long since we were homeowners. Is buying a home in our best interest? I have always believed that the only way to retire in California is to have a paid-for home. We will be meeting with a financial advisor, but I so respect your opinion and would like to know your thoughts. — Sue, California
My best advice is that you do not retire until you are debt-free and own your home outright. This guarantees you will have a rent-free retirement during the years that you will not have paychecks. Of course, I do not know enough about your situation to be any more specific than that. How many years do you have before you stop working? What are your other investment and retirement account resources?
You would not believe the heart-wrenching letters I receive from people in their 70s and beyond who are trying to juggle credit-card debt, college loans and a mortgage payment on their Social Security checks. You just can’t do that and also eat. The next step for these folks is to become a financial burden to their kids.Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en!
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