topic Re: Got a call from AMEX in Credit Cards

Got a call from AMEX

ineedcreditbad — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:06:57 GMT

Got a call today from AMEX identity protection dept. The lady asks me if I applied for a AMEX blue which I said yes six months ago and have the card on me. Then she said they are verfying my identity which they do for all applicants I asked her why it took six months to call me she said as we get so busy we get to them when we can. She asked for my home number which I gave her and she couldnt verfiy that as our number as it is new. Now she wants me to go to a bank and give the bank a copy the SSN, Id and paystub and get it notarized by the bank and fax it back to Amex. Currently my account is on hold and have 15 days to comply.

My question is what prompted this

My score is in the 750's

Always PIF to AMEX

Low balances on other accounts.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:34:18 GMT

Initiate a call to Amex and ask if it's legit. If it is and you don't like the answer, tell them to shove it.

My fear would be that someone is phishing for your information.

Good luck!

Re: Got a call from AMEX

ineedcreditbad — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:46:16 GMT

I though CCC had the right to ask for any information at any time.

Thanks

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:57:05 GMT

Hiya. This happened to me. It is legit, at least I can say it's safe to assume so. It happened right after my FR.

I had to let them call me at my work number to verify my identity. Same thing happened with my land line. It kinda sucked.

Re: Got a call from AMEX

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:55:13 GMT

@ineedcreditbad wrote:

....She asked for my home number which I gave her and she couldnt verfiy that as our number as it is new. Now she wants me to go to a bank and give the bank a copy the SSN, Id and paystub and get it notarized by the bank and fax it back to Amex. Currently my account is on hold and have 15 days to comply.

My question is what prompted this....

Their internal dartboard, maybe? You might take a look at your full report, pulled directly from EX, to see if there's any conflicting info in the demographic section --misspelled addresses, varying birthdates, and so forth. Have you gotten any new credit since you got the new number, which they might have seen when they softed your reports? edit to add: I mean that maybe they saw the new number pop up on a soft, and wondered if someone was trying to use your ID.

Otherwise, I'd guess you'd have to put it down to their eccentricities. If they could do a full bend-over-and-cough FR on Fretless, and THEN ask him to verify ID, they're obviously pretty odd in some areas.

I wouldn't think that it's phishing, if they have successfully frozen your account. Have you been able to see if they did?

Anyway, it's up to you whether you want to comply. Verifying ID after 6 months would annoy me, but I'd go ahead and do it. Or I will, when they get around to me, I suppose.

Message Edited by haulingthescoreup on 06-28-2008 07:55 AM

Re: Got a call from AMEX

rubaty — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:18:44 GMT

ineedcreditbad wrote:
Got a call today from AMEX identity protection dept. The lady asks me if I applied for a AMEX blue which I said yes six months ago and have the card on me. Then she said they are verfying my identity which they do for all applicants I asked her why it took six months to call me she said as we get so busy we get to them when we can. She asked for my home number which I gave her and she couldnt verfiy that as our number as it is new. Now she wants me to go to a bank and give the bank a copy the SSN, Id and paystub and get it notarized by the bank and fax it back to Amex. Currently my account is on hold and have 15 days to comply.

My question is what prompted this

My score is in the 750's

Always PIF to AMEX

Low balances on other accounts.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ed

They did the same to me in April. I had opened a CLEAR acct in Oct and they said they were unable to verify my identity. I sent them the info and they listed the freeze.

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:39:37 GMT

This happened to me a few weeks ago - I think it was the fact that I'd had the temerity to move house and change my address (online, while signed into my AmEx account) that did it.

First I knew of it was when I called customer service one evening and as soon as I keyed in my card number, was diverted to the scary bleepy-line 'you are being recorded' department where everyone refers to themselves as Ms./Mrs./Mr.

They asked if I was calling in response to a letter from them (at which point I thought 'oooerrrr, FR here I come...!') - uh, no, I just wanted to check something to do with my account. Took the lady a little while to figure out why I'd been put through to that department (as I didn't have a letter in my hand, I guess - but I have to say when she muttered 'hmm, let's see, this account hasn't been reviewed yet...' I thought 'eeek!!!' as FRs do NOT sound fun!!) but she worked out that there was some kind of security alert that had appeared on the account, and agreed with me that it had probably been triggered by my change of address. She also mentioned that the card had been used for 'a purchase in California', which is a loooong way from where I live. Yup, that'll be the magic of the internet (and was in fact my monthly Scorewatch payment, which has been charged to my AmEx for months) rather than a big red flag that my cards have fallen into the hands of wrong'uns!

I was calling from my cellphone (just moved house, no landline, had switched old landline number to Vonage but didn't have internet access set up in the new house yet), they wanted to call my home number and seemed a little suspicious when I explained why they couldn't. They then agreed to call my work number and said that if they could identify me by my voicemail message, that would be good enough. Apparently they COULDN'T identify me by my voicemail message (in which I identify myself by name, and am clearly the same person) - apparently 'you have a British accent but the lady on the voicemail doesn't have a British accent'. Uhhh... yes she does, 'the lady on the voicemail' is me, and I have a 'British' accent, being English and all!!!

Long story short, they decided they were going to call back during working hours, via the company's switchboard, to verify that I really am me. They did, and explained that they'd been 'trying to contact me', etc - and eventually they were convinced that I really am me, and yes, I have moved house, etc etc etc, at which point they told me the identity/security/whatever check was completed, my account was un-frozen, and I could go on my way!

About a week later I got two letters in the mail (one for each AmEx card) saying that my accounts were frozen because of a security issue and that I needed to call them straight away, that I shouldn't try to charge any purchases to the accounts, etc etc. The letters were dated the same day I'd called - lucky I'd found out about the security freeze by accident, as I'd almost certainly have tried to use an AmEx card and had it declined in the week it took those letters to get to me! Glad I was spared that embarrassment, at least.

At least with me there was (sort of) a reason for it - I'd changed address, and they wanted to check that there was nothing dodgy going on. But if other people are having their identity verified months after getting their cards, for no readily apparent reason at all... that does seem a touch over the top.

Yikes - crazily long post! Sorry!

Re: Got a call from AMEX

nathan — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:45:06 GMT

Here we go again with amex. Problems, problems all the time.

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:56:16 GMT

ineed-
This doesn't quite ring right. She called YOU and then said the phone number you gave her didn't match her records??? How is that possible?

I'd call AmEx just to be super safe and make sure they did initiate this inquiry. Check to make sure the fax number you were given is valid, and go from there.

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Takunda1 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:17:05 GMT

There is nothing wrong with AMEX doing this. I waork for an Auto Financing company, and what we have come to find is that Identity theft is on the rise. People steal you info and open accounts in your name. They give theri own contact phone number so when the finance company calls they pretend to be you. We are also doign a lot of the employement verification stuff, where we call you at work to make sure you work where you say you do. Most times we'll call the main number & ask to be transferred to mr or Ms XXX.

Although people hate these holds, believe it or not it actually works in yor favor.

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:24:13 GMT

@Takunda1 wrote:
There is nothing wrong with AMEX doing this. I waork for an Auto Financing company, and what we have come to find is that Identity theft is on the rise. People steal you info and open accounts in your name. They give theri own contact phone number so when the finance company calls they pretend to be you. We are also doign a lot of the employement verification stuff, where we call you at work to make sure you work where you say you do. Most times we'll call the main number & ask to be transferred to mr or Ms XXX.

Although people hate these holds, believe it or not it actually works in yor favor.

I agree that there's nothing wrong with verifying identity etc (particularly when something they see as a potential red flag occurs), and some degree of checking the information cardholders give them - I think with me the whole thing just scared the bejeezus out of me, just because I know how twitchy AmEx can get!

Re: Got a call from AMEX

ineedcreditbad — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:52:14 GMT

Just spoke to AMEX and they verified my identity by sending me a voice mail and I didnt have to send all that crap to them. The card has been unblocked as well.

Thanks for your help guys.

Re: Got a call from AMEX

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:38:46 GMT

@ineedcreditbad wrote:
Just spoke to AMEX and they verified my identity by sending me a voice mail and I didnt have to send all that crap to them. The card has been unblocked as well.

Thanks for your help guys.

Ed

Glad to hear it!!