Consumer complaint received 2026-03-12 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: ID

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding my experience with American Express and their handling of unauthorized transactions that appeared on my credit card account. On XX/XX/year>, I made an online purchase from a merchant called XXXX for approximately {$15.00}. Immediately after completing the transaction, I received a notification on my phone from American Express stating that XXXX suspicious transactions had appeared on my account and asking me to confirm whether they were legitimate. I logged into the American Express XXXX application and saw XXXX transactions that I did not authorize : {$9.00} from XXXXXXXX {$24.00} from XXXX Using the American Express mobile application, I indicated that both transactions were incorrect and not authorized by me. The application then provided a phone number for American Express and instructed me to call. When I called the number, I spoke with an American Express employee named XXXX ( Employee ID # XXXX ). XXXX informed me that the transactions were still pending and stated that he would not file a fraud report because, in his view, the transactions were valid since I had previously provided my credit card number to XXXX. I explained that these transactions were not authorized by me, were from merchants I had never agreed to transact with, and were for amounts that I did not approve. I then requested to speak with a supervisor. XXXX transferred me to his supervisor, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ID # XXXX ). I again explained the situation and reiterated that the XXXX transactions were unauthorized and that I wished to dispute them as fraudulent. XXXX stated that a fraud case would be opened on my account but did not provide a fraud case number or other reference number that I could use to track the report. During the call, my American Express card used in the transaction was cancelled and a replacement card was issued. At the conclusion of the call, I was informed that the disputed transactions would remain on my account and that American Express would not formally process the fraud dispute until after the transactions had fully posted to my account. I was not provided a case reference number or written confirmation that a fraud investigation had been initiated. These transactions were not authorized by me, were not from merchants I agreed to do business with, and appeared immediately after my purchase with XXXX. Despite promptly reporting these transactions through the American Express application and by phone, the charges remain associated with my account. I am concerned that the handling of this matter may not fully reflect the consumer protections required under federal law, including the Truth in Lending Act and its implementing regulation, Regulation Z, which require credit card issuers to investigate billing errors and unauthorized charges. I am also concerned about compliance with the protections established under the Fair Credit Billing Act, which addresses unauthorized charges and charges that differ from what a consumer agreed to pay. Because I reported these transactions immediately after they appeared and clearly stated that they were unauthorized and for merchants I did not agree to transact with, I believe this matter constitutes a billing error and unauthorized charge dispute under the protections provided by the Truth in Lending Act and the Fair Credit Billing Act. I am concerned that the response I received from American Express suggests that the dispute may not be formally recognized or investigated until after the transactions post, despite my prompt report that the charges are unauthorized. I respectfully request confirmation that my dispute has been recorded as a billing error under applicable law and that the protections afforded to consumers under these statutes are being properly applied while the matter is investigated. I am submitting this complaint to request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau review this matter and determine whether appropriate procedures were followed and whether American Express adhered to its obligations under federal consumer protection laws when responding to my report of unauthorized transactions.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation