Citibank customer couldn't get back $7,500 stolen from his account until he called CBS 2

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's been a tough couple of years for one North Side man. First, the pandemic shut down his business. Then, when he most needed money, a thief went to a Citibank branch in the south suburbs and stole thousands from his account. 

When the bank would not quickly replace the stolen money he reached out to CBS 2.

"Got my money, finally," said David, who asked us not to use his last name.

It's the piece of paper he's been waiting for. A check for $7,500 from Citibank.

It was an ordeal getting that money – his money – which was stolen from his Citibank account last month by someone pretending to be him.

"The person went to one Citibank, tried to extract money from my account, was refused. That was on May 12th. The person went to another Citibank, was refused," he said.

But the thief hit the jackpot on the third try, at a Citibank branch in south suburban Calumet City, far from David's North Side home, making a $7,500 cash withdrawal.

"I'd never been to Calumet City," David said. "They pushed $7,500 in cash across the counter to him, and he walked out the door."

What's odd, someone from the bank called him right after the first two failed attempts.

"They figured it was fraud right away, but they couldn't figure it out a minute before when it actually occurring," he said.

You might think replacing that stolen $7,500 would be simple, right? It was not.

"I tried everything — websites ... I called Citibank headquarters, I called all these people trying to find somebody, frankly, who cared," David said.

He went out to that branch in Calumet City and he filed a police report. This went on for weeks.

"If a guy robs a bank, walks in a bank, pulls out a gun, 'give me the money,' what does he get? $613 in loose bills, an exploding dye pack, and a trip to Stateville. That's what he gets. That's a bank robbery. This guy walked out of the bank with $7,500. I call that a bank robbery," David said.

The theft came at a time when David's been out of work and needed his money.

"My business was destroyed by COVID. Destroyed," he said.

Frustrated, David turned to CBS 2. We contacted Citibank. On Wednesday, a spokesperson emailed this message: "Safeguarding our clients' accounts is very important to us and we are pleased to have this matter resolved."

The money was returned to David's account, but Citibank gave us no explanation why it took so long.

"It's been five weeks now," David said.

We were with David when he got his $7,500, which he deposited in another bank.

"Citibank finally did something, and I'm very thankful to Channel 2 for helping me out, because I'd probably still be looking at a pile of bills that I can't pay. Right now, I'll go home and pay them," he said.

David said Citibank will give him no information on what identification the thief showed the bank teller to steal his money. Nor, he said, will Citibank share any surveillance video.