[Resolved]  Citibank Credit Card — Not a customer still being harassed by collection people saying that I hold their credit card with some outstanding amount

The mail I wrote to Citibank officials, Ombudsman and CIBIL:



From: subhabrata chakraborty <[protected]@yahoo.co.in>
Subject: Complaint- Not a customer of Citibank. Still threatened by Collection People.
To: [protected]@citi.com, Julio.[protected]@citi.com, head.[protected]@citi.com, [protected]@citi.com, [protected]@cibil.com, [protected]@rbi.org.in
Date: Saturday, 4 July, 2009, 10:14 AM


Dear Sir,



It’s well known that Banks harass their customers. But, mine is a case where I am not a customer of Citibank, still I am being harassed by the bank officials. Now it has gone to such an extent that both myself and my wife, who is in advanced stage of her pregnancy are spending sleepless nights and under tremendous mental agony, shock and trauma.


There are two aspects of my complaint:

1. I have never had any relationship with Citibank neither did I apply for any credit card in past. The problem started 2/3 months back. I received a call from Citibank collection centre, Camac Street, Kolkata (as claimed by that person). He also claimed that I am holding a Citibank credit card and I owe the bank more than Rs. 20, 000/- which I have to pay immediately or else, I have to face the ‘consequences’. My protests were not listened to and he went on forcing me and abusing me in a rough and rude manner. When I started asking him his name and warned that I’ll lodge a police complaint he hung up. I thought it’s some goo[censored]p of the system and the bank people have mistook my name for somebody else and forgot the matter. I didn’t feel it’s necessary so I didn’t even ask for the card number and other details.

After a gap of some weeks on 5th June evening, I again received a call from the same place. This time I saved the number. It’s [protected]. Their claim was same and their manner was even more abusive and rude. I was outside on road and in the shock I forgot to take down the credit card details. On asking his name etc he hung up. I tried calling back in that same number only to know that it doesn’t accept incoming calls. I came back home, fond out the number of that Citibank collection centre [protected] and lodged a complaint there. I spoke with an official Mr A Saha. Next day I called up the toll free numbers [protected]/ [protected] (then I was in Kolkata for few days) and registered a complaint # 0924037. Since, I didn’t have the credit card number the lady could check only my name in the. database and confirmed that there was no record found. She said within 7 days they would get back. The time period got over and nobody contacted me. So after around 15 days I called them to follow it up. They could not identify the docket number. But checking my name in their system (since, I didn’t have the card no.) confirmed that there is no such record and told me that there may be some mistake by the collection people. He suggested me to take the card number next time I receive a call.

Yesterday 3rd July afternoon again I received a call. It was from the same no.of Camac Street collection centre. The person went on telling me my permanent address in Kolkata, where my aged parents are staying, my present address in Chennai, my phone numbers, my past and present employer’s name etc. and threatened to send their people there with an objective of defaming me and harassing them. This time I took the card details and nonstop there were abuses flowing from the other end. These are:

Card No. 5546 XXXX XXXX XXXX ( mentioned in the mail)
Issue Date: somewhere in April, 2006 then I was in Kolkata
Total outstanding was 47, 000/- plus
Payment made for Rs. 27, 000/-
Payment outstanding Rs. 20, 202.90


When I asked them to check the a/c no. from which the part payment of Rs. 27 thousand was made they refused to give me that information and later said that it was made by cash.

I contacted the toll free number[protected]now from Chennai). I spoke with a CSO and then a senior officer Mr Vivek Ranganathan and registered the case against # 09110042. He checked with the card number and found that the card was in fact issued in my name. But when he checked with my Date of Birth it didn’t match. He promised of carrying out an investigation and stern actions. He is expected to revert by Monday 6th July.

Somebody has definitely misutilised my name and details to commit this kind of heinous act. The kind of harassment I am facing can only be realized by me. I worry about my wife and my parents and feel helpless and exploited.

I doubt that those who are involved in doing this will stop here. They can do the same trick with other banks as well and might have got credit card issued in my name. How to handle this kind of situation?



2. Few months back a credit card sales person from Axis Bank approached me for a credit card and I subsequently applied for it. One month back I got a letter rejecting my credit card application. It stated that as per the Credit Bureau report they rejected the application. Now I suspect that these two are related. There must have been some wrong report sent from Citibank side to CIBIL which has maligned my credit history and defamed me. Also, I can’t support CIBIL here because before publishing such reports that goes against me and ruins my image in public they should have at least given me a notice or consulted me. I believe I had every right to know what was going against me before it goes out in open that too by a regulatory body. I wonder how a body formed by RBI can do such act?


Pls help me come out of this mess.

Rgds,

Subhabrata Chakraborty

Chennai