Consumer complaint received 2021-12-16
Company: Home Loan Center, Inc.
State: NY
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
To Whom This May Concern, I am writing this complaint with regard to a host of fraud, identity theft personally experienced by me with all of my XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank Accounts ( Savings/Checking both personal and business ). I have banked with XXXX for over 20 years. My Branch is located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, NY XXXX. This complaint is regarding an outstanding issue remaining with my XXXX XXXX Card Account XXXX as well as with Lending Tree and XXXX who have both reported to the credit bureaus my payment delinquencies resulting from this identity theft and fraud on all my XXXX  Accounts transpired XX/XX/XXXX Police Report # XXXX XXXX Precinct # XXXX XXXX, NY. My payment delinquencies contain two very important issues, the first is that I had no idea that XXXX had reversed payments made prior to my identity theft on XX/XX/XXXX and secondly, I had been in contact with all my creditors every two weeks to explain my identity theft and inability to pay my debts temporarily since I had no access to any monies. ALL THE TRUTH. This continued until XX/XX/XXXX when I received a lump check from XXXX for all the accounts that had been frauded and stolen without any explanation as to how the sum was calculated. 
This complaint is not directed to my branch but rather to XXXX XXXX XXXX response to a horrible situation all having everything to do with the security of XXXX XXXX XXXX as a banking institution. XXXX XXXX XXXX response to this Identity Theft/Fraud was so unsatisfactory and without any consequence while this incident almost ruined my personal credit that is undeserved. XXXX took their time, referred me to their executive team, had me call 127 times without one return call ( see attached for compliant numbers given and telephone numbers called ). As a consumer I was left with no financial resources for almost 4 months. Due to this one incident of identity theft and fraud, I have now suffered a reduction of over 150 points on my credit score and a relentless amount of letters and phone calls to advocate on my behalf, all left without any attention as if I personally am not important enough to matter and a too Bad attitude by all three credit bureaus, XXXX ( for my XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and Lending Tree all institutions were given all the facts and I remain punished for a situation that had nothing to do with me. XXXX unsatisfactory security caused this incident not me PERSONALLY. 
If it were not for the excellent work and efforts of one of the branch employees, XXXX, I would have not been able to resolve any of this. I remain in adversity over one remaining XXXX XXXX XXXX with XXXX that after one year, the account closed and XXXX returned all my monies I had been paying to avoid additional credit score injury this was finally resolved in XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the same XXXX Statement with billed charges all over again that I had been disputing for 11 months AGAIN. These charges I have never seen before- Attached. These charges total {$1300.00} all of which are not mine. This credit card was cut up XX/XX/XXXX when all my other debit cards and XXXX XXXX were closed as a result of Identity Theft and Fraud XX/XX/XXXX. This XXXX account is the only remaining problem. Resolve this incident has taken me almost a full year and I find I am still arguing to dispute with XXXX items that are not mine. 
The XXXX Statement attached outlines charges that are at XXXX ( I have never in the history of having this XXXX XXXX ever shopped at XXXX and there has never been a charge from XXXX on this account or any of my XXXX Debit cards ), all the other charges XXXX and XXXX XXXX  are not my charges either. This Credit Card was not ever used by me since before XX/XX/XXXX. For 12 months I have not received a statement with any charges on it, only a balance without ever having success in resolving or knowing what it was I owed on this account. I have called the XXXX Customer Service, Fraud team, Dispute team from XXXX until today over 28 times, never being able to find out what charges I was billed for and never receiving any resolution, but I continued to pay monthly and went to my branch in XX/XX/XXXX for help. XXXX at the branch advocated for me, resolved the account and XXXX refunded me electronically in XX/XX/XXXX over {$690.00} dollars. In XXXX the entire mess started over again and XXXX was told there was nothing she could do. Fortunately XXXX was able to figure out who to escalate this again and here I am again. 
Here was the entire scenario of Identity Theft and Fraud I endured as follows : On XX/XX/XXXX sometime early in the morning all 6 of my bank accounts were hacked from my Bank at XXXX XXXX XXXX. All of my checking and savings including my direct deposited pay check from XX/XX/XXXX were transferred to some account I was never appraised of. From XX/XX/XXXX through the end of XX/XX/XXXX I had no money for gas, food or any of my bills. XXXX opened new accounts with temporary credits in XXXX ( around XX/XX/XXXX ) only to close them without notifying me at all on XX/XX/XXXX with no reason for closing my accounts and again I was not able to pay bills or have any money until I received a check for all my bank accounts on XX/XX/XXXX. The Check was a lump sum with absolutely no detail as to where the amount came from. I was never able to check to see what was stolen from all my accounts was reimbursed to me. The reason I was not able to confirm anything is that I had no online access to any of my accounts. I was also unaware that the payments I made automatically to my creditors from my checking accounts had been reversed. 
On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX I went to the branch worked with Assistant Manager XXXX who showed me on the bank screen that my bills had been paid and taken out of my accounts on XX/XX/XXXX before the fraud/identity theft took place on the morning of XX/XX/XXXX. The payment to Lending Tree was posted as paid as well as to XXXX ( for my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ). I had returned to the branch on XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX to make sure again these automatic bills had in fact been paid, I was assured again by XXXX at the branch they were. Months later ( in XX/XX/XXXX when I received my funds from XXXX  in a check and I was able to open a new bank account with XXXX XXXX and at that time I was able to finally correct all my credit accounts and bills I had owed to be correct ). As a direct result of this incident my credit score decreased XXXX points and continues to decrease due to this Fraud and Identity Theft incident that was of no fault of my own. 
The branch issued several escalations on my behalf, I was told by the branch to escalate this to the XXXX XXXX XXXX Escalation team. The Branch Staff is truly at a loss to assist as they called many many numbers for help and transfer and never are able to get the help they need to. Executive Office of XXXX was recommended by my branch to escalate this for me XXXX XXXX XXXX, Claims was originally called XX/XX/XXXX from the branch XXXX, I set up the claim XX/XX/XXXX was assigned XXXX who never returned my twice sometime three times a day calls to that number and I would get the receptionist XXXX on the phone who was also nice enough to help, but I was never contacted or spoken to at any time from XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX had explained from the Executive Office that someone will call me back. After calling into the first week of XX/XX/XXXX I spoke to a XXXX XXXX Fax phone XXXX XXXX who told me to fax in this situation in writing which I did that day Referring to Case XXXX. I followed up at that same number every day through XX/XX/XXXX no return call, no written acknowledgment in the mail and during this entire period of time, no access by phone to discuss my accounts and no online access to anything along with no statements received by me in the mail from XX/XX/XXXX for any of bank accounts or charge cards, only XXXX statements with totals starting in XX/XX/XXXX without an explanation as to what the charges of the total were for and I was no allowed to find out what the total referred to by phone either. I returned to the branch who explained then that I was to reach out to call another number XXXX Option # XXXX to my case manager on the executive team XXXX, I called XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX held for 2 hours without anyone getting on the phone and XX/XX/XXXX holding XXXX mins at XXXX when I as finally about to reach a Supervisor XXXX who assured me I would be contacted and my monies resolved and returned to me sometime by the next week. Again disappointed and it never happened. 
I am at a loss for how to resolve this, but this is not my charges and it is no right that XXXX XXXX XXXX is getting away with this and continuing to cause so much heartache to me personally and my family. 

My branch told me they escalated this and I had received a call about the XXXX rebilled account I wrote out all the details as requested and Faxed it to my representative Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX because I was told I could only fax no mailing and the group that was now handling this can not be emailed. 

I am now calling to pay the monthly minimum which I was told last night is now {$90.00}. I paid spoke to XXXX  XXXX at XXXX XXXX as no one at the branch or the escalation team were able to tell me how to pay and if I needed to pay so I called was not able to get any information only pay and miss XXXX you are responsible for all these charges I dont know what to tell you but XXXX said dcall XXXX tomorrow, I did they were not able to speak to me, help in any way and did not have access to this account to dispute or note anything. I called my branch, XXXX, did not have the person, phone number or fax number for the escalation team she was able to reach out for on my behalf prior to XX/XX/XXXX and therefore I am again starting over like it is XX/XX/XXXX AGAIN. 
I need to resolve this, I also would like to make the Attorney General Aware that there is no report of any XXXX  financial history for me on my XXXX, XXXX or XXXXXXXX Account when I had these accounts for 20 years no it is all erased, why is that allowed? I had a XXXX  XXXX  Card I paid for years never late as well as this XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and all of their history and the accounts themselves completely removed from all my credit reports this month. 
Lending Tree Account XXXX reports that my payment was late, I wrote all of this to Lending Tree without any result other than they have to report delinquencies. It was not delinquent, it was paid then rescinded by XXXX and I had no idea. XXXX never notified me, on the phone they were not able to discuss my account and Lending Tree did not notify me either so I had no idea this even happened and Lending Tree is relentless explaining they do not care. Also should be illegal to do that without considering the fraud and identity left and the reversal I was n ever notified by my bank even happened. 

Same situation with XXXX for my XXXX XXXX card, I called them every two weeks to update and was soon as I had funds finally returned in XXXX from XXXX I paid them in full, they were written to all outlined and they did not care either. 
Seems highly unfair and unjust to have a consumer who was criminally taken advantage of be punished for a situation that was not in that individuals control and further disgusting that the credit bureaus work this way as well as Lending Tree, XXXX XXXX and XXXX. Once I am finished with Lending Tree I will never use them again for any reason and same with XXXX. 

Kindly provide any assistance possible. I have truly had it with this and it is so unfair I remain in this tenuous position because these banking institutions could care less. I might add this all happened during a pandemic when it is the time to help consumers not beat them up. It is just gross. I want this XXXX Account expunged finally and never want to see it again, I would like Lending Tree to correct their comments that are based on Fraud and Identity theft as well as XXXX I would like them to do the same thing so that my credit is restored. Crime is not something I should be punished for or have to fight for a year like this with all these awful institutions that dont care about their consumes. 

Warmest Regards, XXXX XXXX XXXX NY Lending Tree XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NC XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX account under XXXX for XXXX XXXX Account ( Have had account 26 years never late ) Acount XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation