Consumer complaint received 2020-10-07
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: TX
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit 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:
I purchased/financed an air conditioning system through Home Depot/CitiBank in XXXX of XXXX in the amount of {$9000.00}. That card/account offered 24-months of 0 % financing. I paid of that balance and never used the Home Depot/CitiBank line of credit or credit card other than for that original air conditioning system in XXXX. 

To my knowledge, my account was fraudulently used for five ( 5 ) purchases over a nine ( 9 ) day period between XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX at four ( 4 )  Home Depot stores in the XXXX XXXX area using approximately five ( 5 ) accounts created by Home Depot/CitiBank. Of the five ( 5 ) purchases, CitiBank has determined that three ( 3 ) of those charges were fraud but continue to hold me responsible for the last two ( 2 ) charges even though on XX/XX/XXXX, CitiBank determined that one ( 1 ) charge was fraud but the another charge ( at the same store ) was not fraud. After talking with numerous individuals at CitiBank, it appears that those committing the fraud were using a fake ID/license with my name on it and used my social security number in order to make charges on my Home Depot/CitiBank account ( s ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX : After almost three years of never using the card/line of credit ( save for the financing of the air conditioning system ), on XX/XX/XXXX, I received a text notification about a purchase made using my Home Depot account ( in XXXX, TX ) for {$910.00} and I called CitiBank on the same day ( within 12 minutes of receiving the text notification ) to note the fraudulent activity. CITIBANK HAS IDENTIFIED THIS PURCHASE AS FRAUD. 
ALSO ON XX/XX/XXXX, the criminal ( s ) who have stolen my identity made another purchase ( using my social security number and now a new account that CitiBank generated based on my call to them ) for {$37.00} at a Home Depot store in XXXX, TX. CITIBANK ALSO IDENTIFIED THIS CHARGE AS FRAUD. I did not receive a text notification regarding this purchase. 

On XX/XX/XXXX : On XX/XX/XXXX I received another text notification of a purchase ( at a Home Depot in XXXX, TX ) for {$240.00} and I called CitiBank within three ( 3 )  minutes of the text notification to note that the purchases were fraudulent. CITIBANK IDENTIFIED THIS CHARGE AS FRAUD. 
ALSO ON XX/XX/XXXX, the criminal ( s ) made yet another purchase ( also at the Home Depot in XXXX, TX ) for {$190.00}. I did not receive a text notification. CITIBANK HAS NOT YET IDENTIFIED THIS AS FRAUD. 

On XX/XX/XXXX : On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a text notification about a purchase ( XXXX XXXX, TX ) for {$580.00}. I called CitiBank within 71 minutes to identify the purchases as fraud. CITIBANK HAS NOT YET IDENTIFIED THIS AS FRAUD. 

The five ( 5 ) fraudulent purchases happened between XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX at four ( 4 )  Home Depot stores in XXXX, TX, XXXX, TX, XXXX, TX and XXXX XXXX, TX on at least four ( 4 ) accounts ( CitiBank kept opening new accounts in my name even though I never requested a new account nor did I want a new account after reporting each fraudulent purchase when I received a text notification. ) I have already provided CitiBank a snapshot of the text notifications that I have received and a call log of many of communications with them in addition to a copy of my driver license ( at their request ), a copy of an Identify Theft Report filed with the FTC and a copy of the police report filed with the XXXX XXXX ( TX ) Police Department and a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  who also acknowledged fraudulent purchases around this time. I have also provided notarized correspondence to CitiBank with no written reply from CitiBank. 

I request that the remaining charges ( which are all fraudulent ) be identified as fraudulent charges and that any reporting to credit reporting agencies be removed or updated appropriately. Note that I called CitiBank after each text notification to note the fraudulent activity and never requested a new card/account be created/issued. In fact, I specifically said I did not need or want a Home Depot/CitiBank card but they continued to create new accounts which were subsequently fraudulently used. I have spoken with CitiBank over twenty ( 20 ) times since XX/XX/XXXX and have mailed and faxed them information and evidence at their request trying to resolve this matter. What CitiBank is doing is wrong and predatory if not illegal. According to CitiBank, anyone can walk into a Home Depot with an ID that says my name and if they have my social security number they can charge anything they want and I am liable for it.

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 monetary relief