Q: Can a merchant deduct money from bank without authorization?
My mother and I have the same name. Due to COVID-19 my mother fell behind on payments, including to a leasing agency. Today I noticed the same agency took money from my account. I never shared any of my information with this company, I’ve never dealt with this company. What can I do? How did they get my information? I am very concerned. Bank has helped but can I Persue this legally? What are they doing to get financial information from individuals?
A:
Dear consumer,
I am sorry to hear about your mother's situation, obviously she is one of many in our country who are struggling financially right now due to the wide-ranging effects of the virus.
Unless you were a co-signer on the lease, this company has no right to acquire your financial information or debit your account. From the facts you've described it sounds like various consumer protection laws were violated. You should document what has happened and contact an experienced consumer attorney.
Best regards,
Dan LeBel
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