Consumer complaint received 2024-10-02
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Card opened without my consent or knowledge
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (NY)

In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a Home Depot Credit Card in my name at my daughters home. I have never lived at her address. I have never applied for a Home Depot Credit Card. I contacted Home Depot and reported the card as having been fraudulently opened. I have been charged a sum of {$1600.00} from XXXX charges at a store location in XXXX, NY on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked Home Depot to look at the video evidence from the store because I have never been in that store. I filed an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission and the report number is XXXX. I also notified XXXX of the identity theft and they notified XXXX and XXXX. In a letter from Home Depot on XX/XX/XXXX, they stated we received your recent fraud claim and have closed the account and we are working as quickly as possible to complete our investigation. Then, on XX/XX/XXXX, I received another letter from Home Depot stating their investigation had concluded and the information reviewed does not support your claim that this account was fraudulently opened using personal information. '' In the letter, Home Depot does not provide any specifics about the nature of the investigation conducted or provide any evidence. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was charged a late fee on the fraudulent charges. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the Fraud Department at Home Depot for clarification on the entire situation and they couldnt even tell me the times at which these fraudulent charges had happened on XX/XX/XXXX. They redirected me to call their XXXX XXXX XXXX the next morning to re-open the investigation and said they would be able to contact the local police station and review video evidence at the physical store location where the fraudulent credit card was opened. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the Home Depot XXXX XXXX XXXX and asked them to re-open the case and also asked if they could provide any details on what investigation was actually conducted if they had found I was supposedly responsible for the charges. They would not provide me with any details on the investigation, which made me doubt if said investigation had actually occurred. I told the agent on the phone my state ID does not even match the address used to fraudulently open the account. How did Home Depot accept a fake ID during their credit card approval process? On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a police report # XXXX and on XX/XX/XXXX, I called Home Depot XXXX XXXX XXXX to inform them of the police report. Again, this time the XXXX XXXX agent would not tell me any details on the case and told me instead to contact Citibank and have Citibank transfer me back to the Home Depot XXXX XXXX XXXX because I can't call their number directly. How does this make any sense if the XX/XX/XXXX letter from Home Depot specifically told me to contact the XXXX XXXX XXXX directly? After multiple transfers, I was finally able to reach the Home Depot XXXX XXXX XXXX again and give the police report number to a different agent this time. However, from the totality of these runaround interactions, I have serious doubts whether an adequate investigation will be properly conducted. 

Furthermore, the XXXX XXXX XXXX agent told me the investigation would need 60-90 days to complete, but in talking to the XXXX Detective ( name and contact information previously provided to Home Depot ) who has been assigned to my case, his experience is that video surveillance usually only lasts 30-60 days. Following this timeline, Home Depot will no longer have the video evidence to look at 60-90 days from now, and thus will not be able to carry out a proper investigation. The agent also told me they could not remove the late fee on the account until this investigation was completed. What investigation was actually conducted from XXXX to XXXX to merit closing the case on XX/XX/XXXX? Did XXXX XXXX archive a copy of the security video images when I originally made my inquiry back in XXXX? 

Please review the video evidence at the store location in XXXX, NY and please send the relevant information to the XXXX so that they may prosecute the responsible individual. I have filed an FTC Identity Theft Report under penalty of perjury. I have filed a police report under penalty of being charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. I have done all that I can do, but I now have to worry my credit score will be ruined all because Home Depot Credit Card Services does not have a proper fraud detection system in place and this account has been reported as past due to consumer reporting agencies. I hope that by filing a complaint with CFBP, I can finally get a clear answer from Home Depot and this case can be finally resolved correctly without delay after delay.