Amanda might not be married to her ex any more, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be in hot water with him for using his money to pay her credit card bill. Unfortunately, Chase seemed to want her to have a belated Christmas present and did just that.

She writes that they’ve never shared a checking account, even when they were married, and she’s also kept the payment information for her Chase credit card the same since 2003. However, as is often the case with married or previously married couples, she and the ex share a last name and do use the same credit union.

She says she received a rather angry call from her ex-husband last week.

My ex asks why the bleep I had paid my credit card bill with his checking account info. I was completely confused — I’ve never changed the payment information for that card, since I first set it up years ago. He discovered the error when he tried to buy something and his card was declined.

He says that the $500+ payment I made for December had come from his checking account. He had called Chase and the credit union, getting reference numbers and such, but they were unable to tell him anything other than that his checking account number was linked to my card, and a payment had been made. Since I don’t have his checking account number, and he doesn’t have my login and password for the Chase payment website, neither of us could have done this. And Chase was unwilling to do much about it.

I checked my bank account, and lo and behold, no withdrawal from Chase. When I logged into the Chase website, there was an additional account number in my payment options, set up as the default payment method! Apparently, that new account number belonged to my ex.

I’ve now deleted that payment option from my Chase account, and paid my ex-husband back for the payment. But this could just as easily been reversed, and it could have been MY checking account that was debited for some random stranger’s card. Then what?

I’ll be keeping an eye on my Chase payment account, as well as my bank account, from now on. Maybe your readers should do the same.

We know many bitter people who would be quite pleased to have their bills paid by an ex, but Amanda is made of more honorable stuff. You know, because that would be stealing.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.