Consumer complaint received 2025-09-25 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Application denied
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
I believe I am a victim of discriminatory credit approval practices by American Express. I am requesting an investigation by the CFPB into American Express 's use of internal screening mechanisms, specifically, a potential internal " blacklist '' that results in an unfair denial of access to credit products, an action that I believe violates key federal consumer protection statutes. 

I was recently denied an application to be added as an Authorized Cardholder on my husband 's new American Express XXXX XXXX. The stated grounds for this adverse action was " previous delinquency ''. This denial is based on fraudulent activity from over 20 years ago. In 2004, XXXX American Express accounts were opened fraudulently in my name without my consent and accrued a balance of almost {$13000.00}. It is important to note that American Express is treating this account activity, which I maintain was fraudulent, as a valid basis for credit denial, an adverse action. 

The current denial does not reflect the actual status of my creditworthiness. My current financial profile is outstanding : My XXXX XXXX is in excess of XXXX across all credit agencies. I earn over {$220000.00} annually ( before factoring in my spouse 's income ). I hold over {>= $1,000,000} in real estate holdings and over {$300000.00} in liquid cash. The fraudulent account delinquencies from over 20 years ago are long removed from my credit report. 

The adverse action being taken by American Express, despite my exemplary credit profile and strong financial standing, unfairly harms my ability to access credit. 

I assert that the denial of credit, based on internal records of decade-old, disputed, and fraudulent debt that is no longer part of my credit history, constitutes a violation of my rights under federal law. The fraudulent accounts are no longer reported on my consumer credit file due to the seven-year reporting limitation under the FCRA. American Express 's decision, based on what appears to be an internal " blacklist '' or proprietary negative history, is a persistent penalty that does not reflect my current creditworthiness. This ongoing impact from a previously reported fraud is unjust. 

The use of an internal screening mechanism that appears to permanently " blacklist '' a consumer for an activity that occurred 20 years ago and was reported as fraud raises concerns under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX I believe this practice constitutes an unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice ( UDAAP ) in violation of the Dodd-Frank Act. 

American Express representatives suggested that the closest I could get to being reconsidered for a commercial relationship would be to pay off the fraudulent delinquency and apply again. However, they are unable to offer any transparency as to whether paying off the fraudulent balance would actually make me a candidate to hold a card in the future. This appears to be an attempt to trick me into paying {$13000.00} on a XXXX year old fraudulent debt with no guarantee of future credit approval, a practice I believe is unconscionable and requires investigation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief