Consumer complaint received 2024-06-19
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Problem with personal statement of dispute
Company: CITIBANK, N.A. (NY)

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Citibank , N.A . 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, KY XXXX cc : Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), New York XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ), Office of the Attorney General of New York, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, United States XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX : Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding CFPB Cases # XXXX and # XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX Thank you for your letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, regarding my inquiries submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) concerning a Citibank account. I appreciate your willingness to investigate and address these issues. 

Additional Information Provided To assist in your investigation, I am providing the following additional information related to the account in question : Associated Account Details : Account Type : Credit Card Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Recent Transactions : Purchases made in XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, totaling {$1200.00} Current Balance : {$2500.00} Issues and Violations XXXX. Inaccurate Reporting and Billing Issues The main issues pertain to inaccurate reporting and billing practices on the Citibank account. Despite timely payments, the account has been reported as delinquent, leading to negative impacts on my credit score. This violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), which mandates accurate and timely reporting of credit information. 

XXXX. Unwarranted Fees and Charges I have noticed several unwarranted fees and charges applied to the account, including late fees and interest charges despite payments being made on time. This constitutes a violation of both the FCRA and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), which require clear and accurate billing practices. 

XXXX. Inaccurate and Unverifiable Debt Claims Additionally, I am updating my complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Citibank, and XXXX XXXX  based on new information submitted by XXXX for multiple violations of federal and state consumer protection laws, including FDCPA and FCRA. According to XXXX response to the New York XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX ( attached ), XXXX has been attempting to enforce a judgment on a Citibank account sold to XXXX XXXX, despite the account being disputed and the debt validation being requested. Notably, XXXX did not provide an official account number in their response, which raises questions about the legitimacy of their claims. 

Furthermore, XXXX  letter includes references to the City of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX # XXXX, and XXXX. Additionally, a partner from XXXX mistakenly addressed me as XXXX XXXX XXXX, which is not my name, further demonstrating the inaccuracies and confusion in their handling of this matter. XXXX response also indicates their unfamiliarity with FDCPA and FCRA violations as they claim XXXX XXXX credit report, which is an incorrect defense given their involvement in the legal process of debt collection. 

Entity Liabilities and Law Violations XXXX. Citibank , N.A . 

Violation of FCRA : Citibank is required under the FCRA to ensure accurate reporting of credit information. The inaccurate reporting of the account as delinquent, despite timely payments, is a breach of this duty. 
Violation of FDCPA : The imposition of unwarranted fees and charges constitutes a violation of the FDCPA, which prohibits unfair and deceptive collection practices. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) Violation of FDCPA : XXXX attempts to enforce a judgment on a disputed account without proper debt validation are in violation of the FDCPA. The inaccuracies in their documentation and misidentification of me as XXXX XXXX XXXX further highlight their non-compliance. 
Violation of FCRA : XXXX  involvement in the debt collection process includes a duty to ensure accurate reporting and validation of debts, which they failed to uphold. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX & XXXX Violation of FDCPA : Similar to XXXX, their involvement in the enforcement of the disputed Citibank account sold to XXXX XXXX without proper validation constitutes a violation of the FDCPA. 
Violation of FCRA : Their failure to ensure accurate reporting and validation of the debt is a breach of the FCRA. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX Violation of FDCPA : XXXX XXXX actions in attempting to collect on a disputed debt without validation are in violation of the FDCPA. 
Violation of FCRA : XXXX XXXX reporting of inaccurate debt information to credit bureaus violates the FCRA. 

XXXX Credit Reporting Agencies XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Violation of FCRA : The credit reporting agencies have a duty under the FCRA to investigate and correct inaccuracies in credit reports. Their failure to correct the reported inaccuracies on the Citibank account, despite disputes, constitutes a breach of this duty. 

Relevant Case Law Supporting Claims XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : This case established that credit reporting agencies have a duty to reinvestigate and correct inaccurate information in a consumers credit report. By extension, creditors who furnish information to these agencies also have a duty to ensure accuracy and to correct errors. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : This case reinforces that debt collectors must validate and cease collection efforts on disputed debts until validation is provided. The failure to validate and correct the reported debt before transferring it to collectors contributes to the liability. 

Internal Policy Violations XXXX. Adherence to Credit Reporting Accuracy : Citibanks internal policies likely include provisions for accurate credit reporting and timely correction of errors. The continued reporting of paid-off debts indicates a breach of these standards and procedures. 
XXXX. Consumer Dispute Resolution : Citibanks policies would also include mechanisms for handling consumer disputes efficiently and effectively. The inadequate response to my disputes and the failure to correct inaccuracies demonstrate non-compliance with these internal policies. 

Documentation Provided For verification, I am including the following documentation : Copy of the original dispute letters and responses from Citibank. 
Copies of the account statements highlighting the inaccurate reporting and unwarranted charges. 
XXXX response to the New York XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX, detailing the ongoing issues with the disputed Citibank account sold to XXXX XXXX. 
Screenshot of the XXXX Local Case Detail for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in New York as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX ( Index Number : XXXX ). 

Compensation Requested Given the multiple violations and the significant impact on my credit and financial well-being, the compensation requested includes : Statutory Damages : {$1000.00} per FCRA and FDCPA violation. 
Actual Damages : Compensation for financial losses incurred due to inaccurate reporting and unwarranted charges, such as denial of credit, increased interest rates, and other financial harms. 
Reimbursement of Fees and Interest : Any fees or interest charges incorrectly applied to the account. 
Punitive Damages : Additional damages to punish willful and negligent noncompliance and deter future violations. Based on similar cases, I am requesting {$10000.00} in punitive damages per violation. 

Conclusion I request a thorough investigation into these matters and prompt action to correct the inaccuracies on my credit report and refund any unwarranted fees and charges. Additionally, I expect compensation for the financial harm and distress caused by these violations. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX Email : XXXX Phone : XXXX CC : Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) New York XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ) Office of the Attorney General of New York XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX United States XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX  XXXX  Attachments : XXXX response to the New York XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Local Case Detail for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in New York as XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX Additional relevant documentation and correspondence