Consumer complaint received 2019-11-18
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was result of identity theft
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (OH)

In the summer of XXXX I had my wallet as well as other documents stolen. In XXXX of that year that information was used by the thief to then commit identity theft. Multiple credit cards were opened and used under my name with the companies Best Buy ( ~ {$3500.00} ), XXXX XXXX  ( ~ {$3200.00} ), and Home Depot ( {$670.00} ). After working with all three companies during the fall of XXXX, Best Buy and XXXXXXXX XXXX both had their respective accounts closed in XXXX of XXXX, but to this date Home Depot still has not closed out the amount. My credit report shows what appears to be two accounts with Home Depot that were both opened on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX the account with {$0.00} was closed with a designation of being " Lost or stolen '' ( the verbiage changes slightly between the 3 credit bureaus ), but the account that actually holds a balance of {$670.00}, was never closed. In XXXX of this year ( XXXX ) I received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX stating that this Home Depot account was being placed in collections. I promptly contacted Home Depot to have it resolved and they told me they would begin an investigation. On XX/XX/XXXX of this year ( XXXX ) ( and after 2 follow up calls with Home Depot over the summer to receive updates ) I was told that their fraud department had just opened an investigation on XX/XX/XXXX. After finding out in XXXX that Home Depot had sent the account back to XXXX XXXX XXXX to be collected, I filed another FTC Identity Theft Report on XX/XX/XXXX ( as my original one from XXXX was no longer active ), so that I could have a better record to prove the legitimacy of my claim. Then on XX/XX/XXXX I mailed the FTC Report, an FTC letter, a copy of my XXXX  credit report, and a police report from The Ohio XXXX XXXX   Police Department, to Home Depot 's Credit Department. Letters were also sent to each credit bureau and XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX I received XXXX more letters from XXXX XXXX XXXX about the account being sent to them for collection. As of today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I am still working with XXXX XXXX XXXX to keep this account listed as disputed. As for Home Depot, I have contacted their costumer support group numerous times over the past 6 months with very little in the way of help on the matter. The only useful information I ever get from the phone representative is the Home Depot Fraud Department 's number. I have tried calling that number 4-5 different times, on different dates, and no one answers. The Home Depot Fraud Department has never once, since the Fall of XXXX until now, attempted to contact me about this account or the identity theft that occurred during any of their " investigations ''. Even after sending them the FTC and police reports over 6 weeks ago, I have still not received so much as a phone call and/or voicemail to try and work with me to resolve this matter. I would also note that both Home Depot and Best Buy have their credit cards serviced by Citibank, and somehow the Best Buy account was closed due to fraud, but the Home Depot account that was opened on the exact same day ( XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, under the exact same circumstances, is being unjustly held against me.