Unbeknownst to Keita, a creditor had gotten a court order to freeze her money — the vestiges of old credit card debt that had spiraled out of control.

Chase withheld all of Keita’s savings — more than $5,000 — for weeks, despite several trips to her local bank branch and repeated phone calls, she and her attorney said.

Household debt, at an all-time high of $16 trillion, grew at its fastest pace since 2007 in the fourth quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Woodyear had $7,180 in her bank account — well exceeding the $4,600 debt judgment. However, New York state law lets banks freeze twice the total amount of the judgment.

“It’s your money, and the bank is saying you can’t have it.”

Every state but one (Delaware) allows creditors seize bank accounts to satisfy debt,

“My money is still in the bank, only because I don’t know which bank is good,” Woodyear said. “Once one bank burns you, you don’t really know which way to go.”

“Sometimes, I’m afraid to check my bank account,” she added. “I’m afraid to see if it’ll be frozen.”