Consumer complaint received 2018-03-16
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
The more I go through my banking statements the more I am starting to see that my bank account information was leaked to criminals who saw big deposits going into my bank and a lot of auto pays set up. So they picked a few and were able to get the money released from the bank and it then went towards paying someone elses Home Depot account and my account not actually given credit for the payments received. Though it showed receiving payments but heres the facts. I had two Home Depot/Citibank consumer creditvaccounts. One had a hot tub on it for XXXX  dollars and change and I was set up on auto pay to pay out XXXX  each month. The accounts were opened in XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. The other account had small balance of 800-900 dollars n change on it. I know interest made it a bit more but not that much more. Not 6,800 + more and 1,800 + more. So my husband had that bank account and we had separated and I know that these accounts were to be paid off. I totally forgot about them and received no notices about them. One day my husband tells me that that bank account these auto pays paying on was over drawn and Home Depot was also processing without our authorization ARC electronic checks. Well I went online and looked at my Home Depot account. Very high balances so I called Home Depot immediately and discussed the problem. They issued me new charge cards and were to look into for me. It was agreed that I didnt owe anything else on my account but I made one last payment to them because I trusted Home Depot and was going to pull auto pay from the accounts. Then for some reason I went back on my Home Depot accounts page and searched for transactions and saw many with even high dollar amounts that when you clicked on them had nothing to show for merchandise. So I called home depot again. I told them the situation. This was same time their data breach news just became public. My husband said he would check with the bank and see what the deal was. I had no idea this was going to become a nightmare for me. I received no notices from Home Depot. I went to look up my account with Home Depot and couldnt get into my account. I figured thats because they closed it doing their investigation. I heard nothing from them. Im having other problems banking wise, I do a fraud alert and credit freeze in XX/XX/XXXXand I had done same in XX/XX/XXXX. I just know that I had a plan to pay everything off and suddenly my credit report shows balances on what Ive paid off. Small amounts but none the less I know my husband didnt charge anything. He made enough money he didnt need to do that. Anyway I never thought of how I get back in to show the charges with no merchandise if Home Depot closes account. Again I trusted Home Depot. Then last year I check my credit report after not viewing it in awhile and Home Depot is showing these large amounts.. I figure its just an error since I havent received any word from them. I try to get it fixed with credit reporting agency and they deny me. I am able to remove the second social security number off my report and incorrect addresses and spellings of my name. But all trying to fix Home Depot did was wake up people to fact Im trying to correct these errors. My credit report is a nightmare. All wrong. Its very overwhelming. For over 30 yrs I had perfect credit. Its like Im on a list or something. Well last XX/XX/XXXX I get served court papers from a collection company on this problem with Home Depot and these charges that had no merchandise attached to it. This is the first time I even heard of this company. Never received a notice from anyone about it just saw the error on credit report and tried to fix it. Then right after that here comes XXXX XXXX XXXX   WITH A COURT FILING AGAINST ME FOR MONEY I DO NOT OWE. They never validated or verified the debt they claim I owed. They just went straight to court with it. I went and got bank statements and I went and filed an answer to their complaint. I said I didnt make those charges and explained the situation. Then a few months after that I get call from someone from XXXX XXXX and I explain best I could about all the auto pays and how the accounts were paid off. She didnt ask me for money after that. In mean time my sons in car accident and I go to court in XX/XX/XXXX on this suit and I have to have it continued because Im still so overwhelmed as to how this company cant show the charges because if they could they too would see what alerted me to contact home depot in the first place. They see blank purchases and just high dollar amounts. I dont know if its bank or Home Depot I just know Home Depot says it the accounts been charged off and sold and I have to go through the nw owner. Im like but you guys shouldnt have charged it off. I was never late. The statement XXXX XXXX claims is their proof I owe the money shows I was never late on payments because it was set up on auto pay!!!! Auto pay is a scary thing. Ive learned a lot from this this. My court date is in a week. A week ago I get four calls from numbers XXXX XXXX the forth call I answered and they asked for someone else. Then yesterday I get a call from XXXX harassing me to pay them. I ask them for charges and all transactions and they say they cant do that. Well what the heck. How can they say I owe them money then.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation