Consumer complaint received 2024-04-29 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Other problem
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
This is a formal complain against Macy's/Citi bank XXXX It all started with my identity was stolen and used to create a credit card account with Macy's/Citibank in XX/XX/XXXX. I learned about the existence of the account when I received a bill in XX/XX/XXXX. I immediately reported fraud to Macy 's. How or why would someone has my information, despite incomplete or incorrect, was allowed to create an account is beyond me. Additionally, when I made the first phone call in XX/XX/XXXX, I asked them to do whatever it takes to resolved them. Macy 's action was to closed the account while doing their investigation. HOWEVER, it was later reported on my credit report that this account was " closed by the customer '' when it was closed by Macy 's due to the fraud investigation. I have made followed-up phone calls with Macy 's to asked and confirmed that the account was closed, in XXXX XXXX. During these phone calls, Macy 's representative repeatedly asked for my account number when I NEVER HAVE ONE NOR DO I EVER RECEIVED THE CARD that " I '' " applied and used ''. This information was grossly neglected or ignored by Macy 's as the fact that this situation is the outcome of an identity theft and is a fraud. The responses from Macy 's during the phone calls clearly assumed that this was not the case. As I continue to receive a bill from Macy 's into XX/XX/XXXX despite being told that the account is closed, I filed an Identity Theft report from FTC in early XXXX and mailed the letter and report to all XXXX credit agencies. Until then, there are STILL no status updates or results on the fraud account. When I applied to a mortgage lender for loan, a credit pull in mid XXXX resulted in my credit scores dropped by XXXX points. All XXXX credit agencies reported that the derogatory remark was because of the outstanding, XXXX days past-due balance from Macy 's , despite I have placed an fraud alert and reported it to Macy 's and was acknowledged during at least XXXX phone conversations. I immediately called Macy 's on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX morning to confront this information. It took no less than XXXX transfers, including at least XXXX debt collector, to get to the " Fraud Investigation department '' on this fraud account. The immediate phone call claimed that I will receive the investigation results within XXXX hours -- that did not happen. The person who provided the case number was also gave me an incorrect phone number ( to the fraud investigation department ) and a false case number ( which was later verified in a follow-up phone call on Monday ). I then filed a Police Report and submitted it to Macy's/Citi bank again , who claimed that they are doing yet another investigation for another 50 days. No credit agencies acknowledge this account is under investigation but " customer closed the account ''. On XX/XX/XXXX morning, I called Macy's/Citi bank phone number and attempted to pay the balance over the phone. After multiple transfer, a person, supposedly an employee of Macy 's, took my banking information ( account and routing numbers ) without paying the balance, and transferred me to a XXXX person of Macy 's that asked for the same payment information. The employee, a woman, Macy 's ID XXXX, later claimed that she couldn't actually do anything with this balance AND she claimed that the previous employee did not provide her the details of banking information to pay this balance. I have to immediately called XXXX XXXX using a XXXX phone to place a fraud alert and find a solution to prevent the possible theft by Macy 's employee that I encountered during the phone call. The XXXX employee transferred me to a XXXX person that ultimately resulted in " not in business '' during the called hours, or XXXX am PT on Sunday XX/XX/XXXX. By noon of XX/XX/XXXX, I physically went to Macy 's to pay the balance of ~ {$130.00} and prepare to file a dispute in small claims court. I have informed both Macy 's and Citi bank in the email chain with Fraud Investigation the intention of filing a dispute through the court, which is required per instruction ( https : XXXX, " A person who sues in small claims court must first make a demand, if possible. This means that you have asked the defendant to pay, and the defendant has refused. If your claim is for possession of property, you must ask the defendant to give you the property. " ). I have first demanded to remove the derogatory remarks on my credit report, and next, since I have paid the balance as a victim of this fraudulent account, I have demand the money back before filing a dispute in small claims court that would consider not only the balance that I paid ( {$130.00} as of XX/XX/XXXX ) but also the interest rate where my money would have saved ( high yield saving accounts that I have currently have a interest rate/APY of XXXX % ). I considered Macy 's lack of actions and irresponsibility have ruined my life despite me being a victim of identity theft and did my due diligence to ensure that I did my part to make this as transparent and as fair as I can. As far as I can tell, paying for an outstanding balance created by a perpetrator is not fair, nor do I suffer XXXX points deduction in my credit score. This is literally no way to recover from this nonsense against corporate bullies. FTC identity theft report, police report, evidence, history of credit -- none of those things matter.

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 non-monetary relief