(2025 DOJ Probe Update) American Express Shuts Down Some People’s Card Accounts (2021)

Update 1/17/25: American Express will pay $230 million to settle DOJ fraud probe, deceptive marketing claim via CNBC

Update 11/18/21: According to Frequent Miler some people have been able to get their accounts reinstated by paying a $25 fee. I don’t see how that makes any sense at all.

Original post: The past few days we’ve seen many reports on a wave on American Express card shut downs. The common thread has been that people who signed up for a specific lifetime-limit-bypassing 150k Business Platinum offer through a certain dedicated Amex rep is getting shut down. This rep would apparently easily offer out this special offer, even when he wasn’t supposed to do so, in order to earn a commission.

Now, Amex is coming after those who signed for that card and shutting down all of their AmEx cards. Even those who got the Business Platinum card only once are getting shut down. I imagine there must be some filter to avoid shutting down non-churners who signed up ordinarily, but – in any case – many members of the churning community have been shut down the past few days.

We’ll have to see if this develops further…