Consumer complaint received 2021-11-09
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
DISPUTE FOR FRAUDULENT USE OF CREDIT CARD In XX/XX/XXXX, I accepted a credit card with Sears store. The following month I received a card statement that I owed {$20.00} without even using the card. The manager from Sears gave me {$20.00} in cash to pay this amount because the clerk who offered me the credit card provided the incorrect information at the time of applying for the card. Also, at this time while I was present at the store, Sears contacted Citi bank requesting to cancel the card. 
Nevertheless, in XX/XX/XXXX, I received the credit card in the mail and in order to be used it needed to be activated by phone. However, I never activated the credit card because it was requested to be cancelled by Sears in the first place and I did not have a telephone to activate the card. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, Citibank billed me for a balance of XXXX  charges, which were conducted by two individuals named XXXX and XXXX XXXX in the XXXX XXXX and Georgia. I affirm that I do not know these individuals, and do not know anyone in these places. Again, I did not activate the card, which these two individuals use fraudulently to pay for their monthly internet/cable services. 
During the time of these charges, I studied at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, TX. Mondays and Tuesdays were virtual classes, and Wednesdays and Thursdays were in-classroom. I remained in XXXX XXXX, TX. throughout this time. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, for a second time, I requested to cancel Citibank credit card with representative XXXX at Citibank as it was not properly closed at the first request by Sears. I was advised that I would be sent detailed information of the unauthorized payments, where and when these were performed by in Georgia and XXXX to the XXXX  company, to which I never processed. 
In XX/XX/XXXX, I reported the fraudulent use of Citibank card to the police department located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, TX. XXXX, under police case # XXXX. I was directed to their Financial Crimes Division located in XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, TX. XXXX with Detective XXXX XXXX # XXXX/ XXXX, his email address is XXXX, office phone XXXX, Fax XXXX. Mr. XXXX advised me to take the following steps : freeze my credit through XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX, which I did with all three bureaus. I also ran free credit scores with all three to review any other potential fraud use of my credit. I am also reporting the fraud here to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found under Federal Trade Commissions at www.ftc.gov On XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with Citibanks representatives, Ms. XXXX, and on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX with Ms. XXXX. They advised me that the requested paperwork to file the claim was already mailed to me. However, Citibank instead submitted my account to collections, XXXX XXXX XXXX without being able to file the dispute through them. This account transfer to external collections was confirmed through a letter that I received from Citibank on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX mailed me another letter with instructions to dispute the balance of {$1000.00} within 30 days if in case I was not in agreement. Therefore, I am disputing this balance because it was fraudulent activity that I did not commit. 
During this entire time, XXXX and XXXX XXXX have used my home address, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, TX. XXXX to apply for credit cards from banks, XXXX, department stores, Water Service, IRS, schools, and XXXX XXXX XXXX. Upon to this day, I have returned to my local postal office over 80+ letters under XXXX  and XXXX XXXX names using my physical address by noting on those envelopes, RETURN TO SENDER, THIS PERSON DOES NOT LIVE ON THIS ADDRESS. 
In summary, the Citibank credit card information was compromised. To this day, the card remains on its original paper in which it was received. Detective XXXX advised that this type of criminal act has increased dramatically during the pandemic and I was a victim of this fraud. 
I ask you to remove me from Collections and clear this balance under my credit because I did not perform any of the transactions. I am not responsible to pay for them and I will not pay for them. Citibank should have not sent me to Collections because I had already notified them of my dispute, but the process was delayed on their side.

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