Consumer complaint received 2024-09-03 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
CFPB Ref No : XXXX ( Incorporated by Reference ) Ref : XXXX It appears that American Express has illegally closed my credit card account based on my religious and charitable contributions and possibly based on race in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Advocacy groups, government officials, and activist shareholders are using XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  mandates to coerce banks to cut ties with political and religious views thaXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX disfavor. ( See XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX, Stop the Troubling Trend of Politically Motivated Debanking XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX last accessed XX/XX/XXXX ) American Express openly participates in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  agenda includes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ( DEI ) which targets white males, Christians and conservatives as somehow undeserving of equal opportunity. 

The Evidence On XX/XX/XXXX, my previous balance on my account was XXXX {$380.00}. My credit limit was {$24000.00}. During XXXX, I made {$5200.00} in charitable year-end contributions to XXXX organizations, including a monthly pledge to TURNING POINT WITH XXXX XXXX and a monthly pledge to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( See XXXX XXXX, XXXX statement, attachment XXXX, XXXX. XXXX ) By XX/XX/XXXX, American Express increased my credit limit to {$27000.00}. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, my credit balance had increased to {$21000.00} due to trial costs incurred in a financial elder abuse case pending in XXXX XXXX XXXX, California against the caregiver of my deceased father-in-law. My credit limit remained at {$27000.00}. My payments remained current, paid as agreed. ( See attachment XXXX ) My XXXX score was XXXX with my payment history, credit history, new credit applications, and types of credit all scored as exceptional.. ( See attachment XXXX ) The current debts category has been damaged by the recent flurry of credit limit reductions driving up my total credit utilization ratio to XXXX %. By reducing the credit limit to the current balance, the banks can manipulate the numbers to create a total credit utilization of 100 %, effectively leaving the targeted customer without credit and creating the appearance of being maxed out. What a scam! 

My letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, disputing American Express limiting contact to a telephone call in lieu of writing in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, went ignored. ( see CFPB Ref No : XXXX, Incorporated by Reference ) On XX/XX/XXXX, American Express reduced my credit limit from {$27000.00} to {$25000.00}. ( Ibid. ) XXXX days later, on XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from American Express stating, " We are writing to inform you that, after a recent review, your American Express account ( XXXX ) listed above has been cancelled. '' ( Ibid. ) My XXXX Credit Report dated XX/XX/XXXX shows " current, paid as agreed '' and never late for all accounts, including this account, through XX/XX/XXXX. ( See attachment XXXX ) My XXXX Credit Report is on request and has not yet been received. 

The illegal and unjustified actions of American Express began a domino effect with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  all reducing their credit limits despite my exceptional credit history. Actions by American Express carry a lot of weight with other banks, whether positive or negative. The illegal and unjustified actions by American Express have consequently caused great damage to my credit score and my financial management plan while the trial is in progress.

None of the reasons given by American Express justify a credit limit decrease, much less cancellation of my account, but clearly serve as a pretext for the obvious reasonreligious, racial, age and other illegal discrimination associated with the XXXX and XXXX agenda. ( See XX/XX/XXXX statement, attachment XXXX. ) Because most banks do not engage in conduct that is overtly discriminatory based on religion, courts typically use the XXXX XXXX test. ( See XXXX XXXX XXXX v. XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) [ a burden shifting analysis first developed by the United States Supreme Court. ] The circumstances of this case are more obvious. 

The illegal and unjustified actions by American Express negatively impacted my credit score in XXXX ways. First by reducing my available credit, it increased the percentage of credit usage without any change on my part. Second, by illegally cancelling my account, it decreased the number and average age of open accounts. Lastly, other banks followed the lead of American Express essentially undermining my entire financial management plan and placing my credit under siege. I have been effectively DEBANKED based on religion, race, age and possibly other illegal factors! This is a common tactic used by the XXXX XXXX  to silence and censor XXXX conservatives. 

On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, my XXXX score has dropped to XXXX even though my credit history is listed as exceptional. This is a direct result of the illegal and unjustified actions of American Express. 

Previous to this incident, my XXXX relationship with American Express has been in good standing since opening my account in XXXX. The illegal and unjustified actions have caused me great financial harm. Additionally, they have also suspended and/or damaged my XXXX XXXX account which currently has a balance of XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation