Consumer complaint received 2023-08-11
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Unexpected or other fees

Complaint:
I file my taxes with XXXX and XXXX and Im given serve XXXX XXXX card. Ive had this card for the last two years and never had a problem. I assumed this was a secure card since my tax company issued it to me.. I was wrong. 

I bought furniture from offer up on XX/XX/XXXX and had to withdraw a total of XXXX $ from an atm at XX/XX/11 to purchase it. I didnt use my card again & had a balance of about XXXXXXXX XXXX left. I noticed on XX/XX/XXXX that my balance was only XXXX XXXX I called the card company and let them know what happened. They said they would do an investigation into the matter to help me get my money back. 

Whoever stole my money did a bunch of {$200.00} withdrawals until they stole XXXXXXXX XXXX from me. I dont understand why my account wasnt flagged after the XXXX XXXX dollars to see if that was actually me doing that as ive never taken that much money out at one time ever. Im pretty consistent and my statements prove that. 

The fraudulent transactions were done in XXXX XXXX California and I live in XXXX California. Ive never been to XXXX XXXX before. I provided proof that I was in XXXX the days the fraudulent transactions were made. My kids attended summer school all summer and i provided documents from the school as well as my dash cam of me taking and picking them up from school on those days where you can clearly hear me talking to them. I also provided a police report. 

I got a denial email stating my money wouldnt be refunded because the transactions were authorized. They absolutely were not authorized as I had my card in my possession in XXXX and my pin is memorized & only I know it. Whoever stole my money didnt use my actual card or pin number. 

I contacted XXXX XXXX with Amex and she got back to me 4 days later saying the same. My money wouldnt be refunded because they cant prove it wasnt me. Im not sure what investigations were done to say that? All they would have to do is review the footage where the fraudulent transactions were made and youd see it wasnt me. Pair that with the fact that I was in XXXX everyday in XXXX and have proof or even look at my usage history or the fact that someone did 16 transactions at once time something i would never do. 

On XX/XX/XXXX th someone did a fraudulent transaction at XXXX XXXX In La and im sure they have cameras there aswell. I used my card that same day to withdraw the last XXXX00 $ I had to my name in XXXX California. 

When I mentioned that Transactions were made in different areas on the same day now im being told the transaction at XXXX XXXX was from the day before on the XXXX. My statement says the rite Aid transaction was on the XXXX which is the same day I took out money from a local ATM .Why would my statement say the XXXX but being told it was actually the XXXX? I understand that transactions are first pending but it should still say the original day of the transaction, no? 

I feel as if im being told this because that alone proves it wasnt me and that someone else had a fraudulent card that wasnt my actual card, Because how can one person and one card be in two places at one time especially 9 hours one way between each place. 

But lets just say it was the day before I literally live 9 hours away from where the transactions were made. It would be impossible for me to drop my kids off to school drive to XXXX XXXX drive back home and pick my kids up all in 8 hours when There to XXXX and Back to XXXX is literally a XXXX hour round trip.. Its literally impossible. 

I decided look up reviews for this card on consumer affairs. com and thats when I noticed several people had their money stolen the same way and nothing was done about it. 
Im starting to feel as if this is an inside job with the company because how are ppl getting cards with a cardholders information but not the actual card issued to the card holder? 

My case isnt an isolated thing. Its happening to ppl all over America and its as if nothing is being done at all. 

I have XXXX XXXX and other medical issues like XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX and this is just too much. I wouldnt go through the stress of all this for not reason but I can not just except that all my money was allowed to be stolen from me. Especially when I have a XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXX one whos special needs who depend on me to care for them and I have no money to do so. 

It wasnt me. Im completely stressed out because as I previously stated thats all the money I have to my name. Im low income and cant afford to lose XXXX XXXX let alone XXXX  . Im desperate to get my money back. 

I cant send the actual video footage but I do have it.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation