Bureau sues Citizens Bank, N.A.

The CFPB has announced it has filed a complaint against Citizens Bank, N.A. (Citizens), headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bureau’s complaint alleges violations of the Truth in Lending Act and its implementing Regulation Z, including violations of amendments to TILA contained in the Fair Credit Billing Act and the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act.

The complaint alleges that Citizens automatically denied consumers’ billing error notices and claims of unauthorized use in certain circumstances. The complaint further alleges that Citizens failed to fully refund finance charges and fees when consumers asserted meritorious disputes or fraud claims, and failed to send consumers required acknowledgment letters and denial notices in response to billing error notices. It also alleges that Citizens failed to provide credit counseling referrals to consumers who called Citizens’ toll-free number designated for that purpose.

The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has violated the law.