Originally Posted by
AZbba
But IF (I understand this is unlikely) this is the first time, then the response seems a bit overreaching - I don't think there would be enough of a pattern/proof of fraud. If this was my first time opening/canceling a Citi card and booking/canceling a refundable ticket (and I had valid reasons for doing both) and I lost 500k miles I would be livid and would take AA to court.
In your scenario, you don't make it as simple as it really is:
OP opens account, purchases 1-2 full-fare refundable tickets, receives miles plus bonus miles plus cc sign-up bonus, closes account, cancels tickets.
That's it - and if that's not down-right fraud, then nothing could be seen as fraud. If OP had purchased a $231 refundable DFW-LBB fare and canceled, that's one thing especially considering the $10,000 spend was generated elsewhere. If the $231 was the bit that put them over and then they canceled, I'm sure AA and Citi could care less.
What they do care about is when there's ZERO legitimate spend and 100,000+ miles lost. These account closures are not happening to honest people with honest spend.