QUESTION
Can a credit card company subject you to financial review and demand tax returns to be released for an existing card you had over 5 years?
Asked on Jun 23rd, 2012 on Debtor and Creditor - Nevada
More details to this question:
I had Amex Blue card for many years and without notice, Amex put a hold on my account and demanded I fill out a form to release my tax returns. They demanded a fax or email address to send it. I told them don''t have a fax or email. They said, they will find a Staples near my mailing address, fax it over there, then call me to go and get it. I said No. And I asked them to send the required forms by US Mail to my mailing address where I receive the statements. They said they cannot send it by mail, it has to be fax or email. Could there be any reason why the do NOT want to use US Mail?
1 ANSWER
R. Christopher Reade
If you review your Cardholder Agreement, there is a good chance that the card issuer has the right to put a hold on your account.
However the demand for a form to release your tax returns is frankly highly irregular and a red flag that you should have someone scrutinize the demand for information. Furthermore the high pressure that you must immediately fax sensitive financial documents sounds eerily like a form of phishing. One thought on why no U.S. Mail is that the demand is coming from outside of the United States (which Electronic and faxes could redirect to mask). My recommendation is that you be very very careful with this demand for information as it appears to have the hallmarks of fraud.
Answered on Jun 24th, 2012 at 2:15 PM