Consumer complaint received 2023-02-17
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
I purchased two American Express gift cards ( one for {$350.00}, and one for {$500.00} ) on 2/15 at my local grocery store. Within 6 mins of purchasing, I checked balances to ensure the cards were loaded before throwing receipts away and came to find that the money was completely wiped off the cards. I went back to store I purchased them from, spoke to the XXXX and was told I had to deal with American Express directly. I called American Express at least 15 times since XX/XX/15 and spent over 10 hours on the phone. I came to find out the cards were hacked and the money was taken the second they were loaded. American Express Customer Service provided the merchants websites and phone numbers for where the money was spent, and advised me that the responsibility was on me, to dispute directly with the merchants. However, when I called the numbers provided by American Express, I found they were completely different companies from the companies listed in American Expresss system. The companies listed in the Amex system were actually fake/ didnt exist. The companies whose phone numbers were attached to these fake companies in Amex 's system were legitimate but completely different and they had no such connection to the fake company or awareness of any transaction or purchase.

Company 1 for {$350.00} : Amex stated purchase was made to : XXXX  Gift XXXX XXXX XXXX Phone # XXXX When I called that #, it is actually for a company called XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Company 2 for {$500.00} : Amex stated purchase was made out to : XXXX XXXX. 
Gift Card : XXXX XXXX Phone # XXXX When I called that #, it is actually for a company called XXXX. 

Both companies confirmed they are not connected to the " companies '' listed in Amex 's system, do not sell retail to consumers and have no purchases/transaction made using a Amex gift card. I also have email / text confirmations from the companies.

American Express customer service, as well as 3 supervisors ( after being hung up on 3 times and having to call back and sit on hold for an hour each time!, including " XXXX '', " XXXX '', XXXX '' and " XXXX '' among others ) advised me its my problem to deal with a lost or stolen card ( please note : the card was not lost or stolen ; it was hacked ) ; and I need to dispute with the merchants ( the merchants that are actually ghost companies that dont actually exist ) and no one would help me per their policy. 

I have now lost almost {$1000.00} dollars and American Express has washed their hands of any responsibility. I need to be very clear - I read your policy, and your policy states there will not be any refunds for a lost or stolen card and I understand that but my cards were not lost or stolen- they are still very much in my possession. The problem is that the cards were hacked and literally the second I purchased and loaded them at the store- the money was taken by someone. 

Attached are communications with the companies Amex is stating the money was spent at, providing that is not true, and the card/Amex system was hacked, along with the reciepts proving i paid for the cards.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation