Consumer complaint received 2025-10-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: AMERICA FIRST FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
State: VT

Complaint narrative:
I was notified of a possible fraudulent charge on my VISA credit card from XXXX XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$930.00} on XX/XX/year> at XXXX XXXX XXXX via a text message from America First Credit Union Fraud Alerts. I responded that I did not approve this transaction. The charge was blocked and my card was cancelled and reissued. I immediately checked my credit card charges and saw two other charges from XXXX  XXXX XXXX in the amounts of {$1000.00} and {$990.00}. I did not make or authorize these transactions. I promptly called America First Credit Union at XXXX XXXX  XXXX and disputed these charges. America first opened an investigation for this claim. 

On XX/XX/year>, America First Credit Union notified me that the merchant had provided documentation for the charges and sent me the documentation. The documentation only shows that someone had my name and credit card information, but does not provide my billing address, proof of receipt, or any evidence that I made or approved these transactions. Further, the website url provided for the merchant on these documents ( XXXX ) is not a real, functioning website. The phone number the merchant provided ( XXXX ) is disconnected. 

Yet, based on this documentation, America First Credit Union denied my charge disputes on XX/XX/year>. I called to ask for an appeal and my claim was reopened. I emailed the credit union with details on why these were unauthorized, fraudulent charges, and just a couple hours later, I received an email saying my disputes had been denied. I called their member services department to see if the denial email had been sent in error, as this seemed too quick to have investigated my evidence and made a decision, and I was told by the member service representative that the dispute claim was actually still open and being investigated. I called again the next day ( XX/XX/year> ), and was told the same thing- the claims were still open and being investigated. So I waited patiently for a response from the claims department. When I hadn't received one for over 2 weeks, I called member services again. I was told that my claims had, in fact, been denied and the case closed on XX/XX/year>, and they were not sure why I was told that the claims were still being investigated on XX/XX/year>. They would not allow me to appeal the decision. When I asked for a written, detailed explanation as to why my disputes were denied, America First never responded. I have never been in able to get in direct contact with anyone from the America First Claims department. 

It is hard to provide evidence, besides my word, that I didn't authorize these transactions, as I had no involvement in the incident, nor any interaction with the merchant, who I can not contact as both their website and phone number are nonexistent. I never received the products that were claimed to have been purchased. There was no billing, nor shipping address on the documents, so I don't know who, if anyone, did receive the products. 

I feel as though America First Credit Union did a very lazy investigation into these claims. It is obvious the charges were unauthorized and fraudulent. Their automatic system even detected and blocked a third charge. How can they not see that the first two were also fraudulent? I have been a loyal member of America First Credit Union for 13 years and no longer feel that I can trust them to protect me as a member or credit card user with them. Their claims of fraud protection are false.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation