FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - ARCHIVE: Account audit / fraud issues - Busted selling miles / SWU / VIP, etc (consol
Old Mar 20, 2014, 10:22 am
  #13  
QueenOfCoach
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,438
Originally Posted by al613
Received an email today:
"As an analyst with American Airlines of my responsibilities is investigating possible instances of fraud, misrepresentation, and violations of the General AAdvantage® Program Conditions. Today, I’m writing you about your AAdvantage account # XXXXX

We have reason to believe that mileage points reflected in your account summary violate the AAdvantage program conditions. As a result, American Airlines has suspended your AAdvantage membership privileges and may terminate your account as a result of our findings. We are in the process of completing the investigation into this matter, and I would like to hear the events as they occurred from your perspective. Please respond to this message by Mar 22, 2014 with complete and accurate information regarding the activity listed below:

Please provide proof of purchase and payment for the points earned in your account earned in 2012/2013 to present date associated with your Citi/AAdvantage credit card purchases.

To protect and retain the integrity of the AAdvantage program, it is vital that firm action be taken as a result of any violation of the AAdvantage Program Conditions, whether intentional or not. Failure to respond completely and accurately by March 22, 2014 will result in the termination of your AAdvantage membership and all its benefits, including all remaining AAdvantage miles in your account and any tickets issued from it that have not been used will be cancelled.

We hope to hear from you soon."
I have opened and closed few Citi AA credit cards for bonuses, but I don't know if it could be a reason for this. I have a ticket on miles for March, 22 on Cathay for a friend.
There have been several similar messages here on FT. In my experience, the OP does not post the entire story in the first message. Further, the OP minimizes their own actions so as to appear innocent.

Before offering the OP advice, I think it best to ask some specific questions.

1. You opened and closed "few" Citibank AA credit cards. How many? When? Where they business, personal or a combination of cards? Did you open cards in the name of a spouse, parent, child, friend?

2. In order to get the mileage bonus, typically you have to meet a minimum spend in a defined period of time. Did you meet that minimum spend? How did you meet the minimum spend?

3. Did you purchase, then cancel airline tickets and, if so, what happened to any Aadvantage miles from the purchase of the tickets? How many such airline tickets did you purchase and then cancel? Do you have a past history of purchasing and then using similar airline tickets? Were the purchase/cancelled tickets part of your ordinary business needs as evidenced by past history?

4. Did you engage in anything remotely related to manufactured spend? That would mean buying cash equivalent cards at merchants that record such cash equivalent cards as "purchases" (thus eligible for frequent flyer miles) then cycle the cards through a route that ends up with cash equivalent in your hands? (Bluebird cards, vanilla reload, etc, as thoroughly described in the Manufactured Spend section of FT?)

5. You say you have an award ticket for a friend on Cathay for March 22. Who is that friend? How do you know that friend? Did the friend in any way pay you back for buying that ticket? Have you obtained any other award tickets for anyone other than yourself in the past?

6. (Captain Obvious Question) Did you engage in selling, bartering or otherwise exchanging frequent flyer miles or award tickets, ever? Have you done business with a frequent flyer mile broker who expedites such exchanges? Have you advertised miles or award tickets on Craigslist or eBay or similar sites?
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