Consumer complaint received 2021-01-22
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: WI
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: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
Letter sent to American Express about fraud case and purchases made with my AMEX card utilizing a credit into my credit card account from a valid bank account at XXXX. The funds were issued into my credit card account and then reversed after XXXX XXXX said I was not authorized after they received XXXX laptops. American Express is responsible for charges as they were called and helped transfer the funds into my account and also told me money could not be taken out of my account. Please see two detailed pieces of correspondence sent to American Express. They have refused to give my the recorded conversations with them telling me to get an attorney. Those conversations will prove that they indeed aided the fraud by giving me incorrect information. American Express is responsible for allowing fraudsters to retract authorized funds from my account. American Express was given all the documentation, and should be having conversations with XXXX about defrauded funds. To date American Express has been given all the documentation showing I had all the authorizations for funds. I filed a police reports, a complaint with XXXX and FTC complaint. I will be happy to supply you with all of the documents. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX WI XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX To Who It May Concern : I applied for a job with XXXX XXXX in the beginning of XXXX of XXXX. I had two phone interviews with them for a XXXX XXXX Job. I had agreed to a 30 day training probationary period. During that period of time if I passed all the exams with a B or better I was guaranteed a position full time. 

They agreed to pay me {$2000.00} for 40 hours of coursework training period. I signed a contract and was then given a permanent position contract when I was asked to take on a purchasing task. 

Please find attached the purchasing addendum contract and original employee contract. I was very skeptical as to why they would have a trainee doing any purchasing but I agreed to do it when the said they would deposit money directly into my American Express credit card for their bank account. 

At that time after getting banking information and instructions I called American Express to aid me in doing the bank credit transfer into my charge card. American Express helped me connect bank account and we called XXXX to verify account and funds. XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX verified that is was a valid account but could not verify funds because I was not named on the account. 

Both XXXX employee and the American Express representative said to wait until funds cleared American Express and showed in my account as good and fully funded. I waited the 5 days and the funds showed in my credit account the following Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX. 

I had expressly asked the American Express account representative how would I be able to tell if the funds were good and actually in my account on the XX/XX/XXXX phone call. He said my balance would show as a credit at {$24000.00}. My credit limit was {$17000.00} and I had transferred {$7000.00} from the XXXX account I was given. So on Tuesday, XXXX the funds showed in my account and I proceeded with the purchase for XXXX on Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX. Fully believing the funds were good as that is what American Express representative had told me. 

I purchased 4 XXXX laptops from XXXX XXXX and then shipped them to a person in California as instructed. 

My contact a XXXX was XXXX XXXX who cared out most of the fraud and contacts with me. As soon as I shipped out the laptops to the individual in California. I had contact with XXXX the next day and he said they would pay me for the purchase using the excess money on Credit card. After that he no longer took phone calls or accepted emails. I used outlook to verify he received them and requested read receipt. The fraud was fully played at that point so he no longer communicated to me. 

On Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX I spoke with XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX department and explained the fraud. XXXX advised me to call the company about why the stopped the funds as unauthorized which fell on deaf ears since phone just went busy when called. No emails returned either. XXXX said they would file a complaint but would not give me a claim number or any time frame on a resolution. They were given all my information. I spoke with XXXX employee XXXX at XXXX. Basically I got nowhere with XXXX. XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX At XXXX pm I spoke with XXXX id ( XXXX XXXX at American Express and retold my story. She assured me I would not be held responsible for the fraudulent funds. She said they would have it all resolved by end of XXXX. I was assigned cases : XXXX for {$2000.00} XXXX XXXX charges XXXX for {$2700.00} XXXX XXXX Charges XXXX {$300.00} for XXXX shipping charges XXXX XXXX also advised me to file a police report which I did with the Village of XXXX with XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was advised by XXXX to file a complaint with FTC. Which I will do in next couple days. I will be sending the same information to the Police officer for him to complete his case. 

Thank you for your consideration and help. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX All documents and emails will be loaded to American Express. 


XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I am urging American Express to go after XXXX that has the account that was used in perpetrating fraud. Unfortunately, your team chose to go back to the vendors for purchases and not the party that defrauded me. Also, American Express is responsible for telling me these credits could not be reversed out of my account. Below is the timeline and all of my conversations that were recorded with American Express. If American Express persists in not taking ownership of these charges I will charge forward with litigation and report this incident to the news media and FTC. 
American Express fraud dispute team has not read the materials they were given. 
American Express has the documentation and recorded conversations with XXXX from which the fraudsters used and account was valid and had funds in it. You should be using the contract, and bank account and emails from the fraudsters that gave me authorization to receive funds. Why any bank would allow transactions in and then allow a withdrawal out is amazingly ignorant. Expect a flood of fraud after allowing that. 
You now have the Police case report and letter about incident. Also XXXX letter that they are not doing anything either. 
XX/XX/XXXX, - I called American Express to connect XXXX account and make deposit into my American Express Account. I called American Express which elevated my call and I and American Express conferenced in XXXX to verify that the account was valid. XXXX would not immediately release funds because I was not personally on the account. With American Express representatives aid we made the transfer of {$7000.00} to my American Express account. My conversation with the American Express representative told me to wait till the funds cleared into my credit card as a credit to use funds. I asked him how I would know they were good and in my account. He said my credit would be in my account and change my credit available from {$17000.00} to {$24000.00} available. Approximately 5 days. 
I asked him if funds could be taken out of my account with this transaction he said NO they could not. 
SEE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE BANK ACCOUNT LETTER AND EMAILS AND PURCHASING CONTRACT DOCUMENTS. 
XX/XX/XXXX, - The funds showed in my American Express account as deposited and good. 
XX/XX/XXXX, - I made purchases of laptops at XXXX XXXX of {$2000.00} and {$2700.00}. Also shipped off laptops through XXXX charges of {$300.00} XX/XX/XXXX, - American Express reversed {$7000.00} credit in my account and sent me an email that they had reversed funds and that I owed funds. 
XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX, - I called and spoke with XXXX XXXX at American Express XXXX department Supervisor. He advised I call XXXX which I did. And told me to report and He started fraud file but did not open case. I then called XXXX at the number he provided. 
XXXX employee XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX spoke to her and she opened complaint but refused to give me a case #. I received letter yesterday XX/XX/XXXX regarding that they are not doing anything about their fraud account. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX American Express employee. Stated to me that I would not be held responsible for the charges and opened three disputes. All charges were suspended she advised me to open police report which I did. I also let her know I had called XXXX as well. She told me to upload all documents and supporting explanation letter. 
XXXX XXXX {$2000.00} XXXX XXXX XXXX {$2700.00} XXXX UPS {$300.00} XXXX XX/XX/XXXX American Express employee XXXX XXXX. I asked why they were going after vendors XXXX XXXX and XXXX. He informed me that is what they do with disputes. I stated that was a waste of time and that they were valid charges. I was advised that was standard procedure. In the meantime the criminals and XXXX were getting away with the crime. 

XX/XX/XXXX I spoke with American Express employee XXXX ( XXXX ). She informed me that the funds had been good in my account but that XXXX claimed I was not authorized and they were allowed to withdraw the funds from my account {$7000.00}. This is when I was made aware that I would be held responsible for lost funds and that a fraudster could reverse funds. At this point American Express had the documentation that I was authorized and should have pursued XXXX but did not. 

Again incorrect information about the ability to pull funds back from an account were not given to me on the call to American Express on XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX also did not want to give me their legal department contact In order to request recorded conversations. She gave me a mailing address instead. She also told me to get an attorney which I shouldnt need in order to hold American Express responsible for their actions. 

I trust that the FTC will be more effective in getting the recordings with these detailed dates. I will also be calling the local XXXX TV station XXXX with call for action. 

Lastly, I asked XXXX to connect me with XXXX XXXX American Express employee which she did. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX returns a call to me. XXXX XXXX tells me she will personally take over dispute. And tells me since I produced credit card at XXXX store to ship laptops she would have to reopen dispute and that the other charges would have to take vendor course of being rebilled to me and she would also handle it. 
This was also untrue because all the charges have been closed and now I am responsible for. She told me to up load the police report as soon as I received it. 

XX/XX/XXXX I discover that dispute are closed and I can not load documents to American Express site. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX I call American Express and speak with XXXX ( XXXX ) I tell her the scenario and she reopens the disputes for me to upload documents. XXXX also puts in a note for XXXX XXXX to call me who I discover is in XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  Call from American Express employee XXXX XXXX. She proceeds to tell me I am responsible for all charges I was defrauded out of. Despite having told me on multiple occasions I would not be responsible for charges. I advise her that I will fight American Express and hold them responsible for the bad information they gave me with putting the funds into my account and telling me that they could not be withdrawn. I advise her that I want her to document our call and make sure that the fraud dispute team reads the documentation. She tells me it is up to police and law enforcement to pursue crime. I advise her that that would not happen as they dont have the ability to do anything but that American Express does. 

I will also be filing a complaint today not only against fraudsters but also against American Express with the FTC. 

If American Express wants to avoid litigation and legal actions I advise they contact me immediately to resolve this matter. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation