Like probably many of you, I apply for a lot of credit cards. Probably because of that, I also monitor what is going on with my credit report and credit score more than the average person. I generally take the belief that my (and everyone’s) identity is basically “out there”, so there’s little use in making sure that people don’t have your information, because people ALREADY have your information. Instead, I focus on monitoring my credit report (for new entries) and my spending (to make sure people don’t spend money on my cards – if so, I report it)
Denied for the Home Depot Credit Card
So that is a precursor to saying that a few months ago, I got a letter in the mail, saying that I was denied for the Home Depot credit card. As you can probably imagine if you are at all familiar with how valuable different cards are, I did not apply for this card.
This seemed like someone had tried to apply for a Citi Home Depot card with my information but (thankfully) they were not able to verify other information about me when going through the application process, so the application was denied.
Calling Citi (they were no help)
The problem I had was that this also seemed like a possible spearfishing campaign. I could not find the number listed on the letter (888-305-7733) anywhere official on either the Citi or Home Depot websites. I know that scammers sometimes send out emails with fake phone numbers, trying to get you to call them and give them all your information. When I googled the number, there were reports I saw that it was a scam number, but to me that was inconclusive. I was about 75% sure this was a real number, but not enough to try calling it.
So I called 888-266-7308, which was the number I found on a Home Depot website for Home Depot credit services. Getting through their automated line was a challenge, because it kept wanting me to put in my information or my application id.
Eventually though I got to a real person. She was nice, but could not find any application with the reference number on my letter.
Trying Again
The problem to me though was that I looked at my credit report and on the date listed on the application, there WAS a hard inquiry from Citi on my Equifax credit report. Since hard inquiries can make a difference for things like Chase 5/24 and my credit score, I knew I wanted to take care of it
(SEE ALSO: “I only date guys with high credit scores”)
So a little while later, I tried calling the general Citi customer service number at 800-950-5114.
This…. was a hassle. Again, because I didn’t have an application ID, didn’t have an existing card number, and was hesitant to put in my information or SSN (since I wasn’t sure what information the scammer had used), the automated system REALLY did not like me. I was hung up on several times, with the prompt to “call back when you have your information ready”.
Eventually, on the 4th time, I figured out the right buttons to hit to get to a real person.
Of course, even then, I didn’t get the RIGHT person. I was transferred around to 5 different people before finally finding the right person. As you can see, it took 33 minutes on the phone. The person I finally got to in the end seemed to understand my situation and seemed like they could take care of it, but I wasn’t sure.
Finally Fixing My Credit Report
But sure enough, a week or so later, I got 2 letters in the mail. The first one said that they had canceled my application (which I think they had already done? It also gave a 423-467-6957 phone number, but I’m not sure how valid that is or what department it might go to.
The second letter said that they were changing the hard inquiry to a “non-display inquiry” or soft inquiry.
So…. success?
The Bottom Line
A scammer tried to open a Citi Home Depot credit card in my name. Thankfully, the application itself was declined, but there was still a hard inquiry on my credit report. It took a LOT of work but finally I was able to get Citi to remove the inquiry and hopefully that should be the end of it.
Ever had someone fraudulently try to open a credit card in your name? How did you resolve it? Let us know in the comments below
This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as thepointsguy.com. This may impact how and where links appear on this site. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers and that compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners and I do not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers and other offers and benefits listed on this page. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Other links on this page may also pay me a commission - as always, thanks for your support if you use them
User Generated Content Disclosure: Points With a Crew encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at
I find your story informative and compelling. It’s great to read about fraud and how to approach situations like this.
That said I find the headline incredibly misleading. What puzzles me is that instead of laying blame on Citi in the headline you could have had a more compelling one about how you escaped a fraudulent application and made things right. Citi is not the bad guy here.
Maybe lock the credit reports of all 3 agencies?
Yeah – I thought about that but I apply for a lot of credit cards :-). So it’s a hassle to lock and unlock them
You can do it through the app in a few seconds.
Good to hear is was a fraud attempt on the Home Depot application side. Hate to think Citi might be WellsFargoing customers.
It’s fast (5 minutes) and easy to freeze / unfreeze all 4 of your credit reports either by phone or online. Online requires a secure login with the credit bureau. Yes, there’s a little-known 4th reporting agency, Innovis. You call or login, give proof of identity (SSN, name, address, etc.). You can limit access to one creditor, e.g., an auto finance company or a set period of time, e.g., 24 hours or less. I’ve done this with 2 auto deals the past 5 years and a major home improvement project.
Folks, you need to have am identity theft monitoring service that includes monitoring for home title theft, which is a growing threat. Think you’ve paid off your mortgage when the lender sends you the title and confirmation letter? Well, you have, but the latest scam is for a criminal to claim they are you, ask your county recorder for a copy of the title. Then they take out a home equity loan in your name. You now are toast!
About 20 years ago, someone stole my identity to set up a fraudulent cell phone account. I had been in Baltimore to put my name on my mom’s checking account, because she was in early-stage dementia. The Baltimore Police found that this crime originated near the bank branch where I made the account change. It appears a bank employee gave my identification info to a scammer. So, I froze all 4 of my reports and also reported the crime to the IRS. Each year, they mail me an identity theft PIN that is required to file and process my federal return. I also set up identity theft monitory through BOA, and just 2 weeks ago added home title theft protection. The extra $10 per month is well worth it!