Inquiry into Amex credit card agent

American Express is investigating an agent who allegedly made false applications for credit cards.

The police fraud squad has also received three complaints from people who say the woman applied for a credit card in their name, provided their driver's licence number and forged their signature.

The woman worked for a company contracted by American Express to sign up customers.

The credit card company is now reviewing the agent's work after it was revealed she submitted 10 applications from people living in an apartment building where she works part-time.

It is alleged the agent accessed private information, including driver licence details, to sign up residents of Scholar Apartments in Auckland.

American Express spokesman Craig Dowling said the suspicious applications were discovered when a resident from the apartment building was contacted about his application.

"We determined there were up to 10 directly suspicious applications. Because of the secondary checking process of identifying applicants we have in place, the likelihood of a card going to anyone wrongly is very, very slim."

The resident who exposed the scam said the employment details on his application, which he obtained from American Express, stated he was a lawyer employed by the Auckland District Court and earning $26,000 a year.

The man, who is not a lawyer but does work at the court, said he laid a complaint with police three weeks ago and was unhappy with the response.

"It seems to me no one is in a big hurry to prevent further offences of this type," he said.

Detective Senior Sergeant David Pearson, head of Auckland's fraud squad, said the complaints were waiting to be assigned to an investigator. The complaints did not involve any financial loss and were unlikely to involve any in future.

Scholar Apartments manager Tim Myhre would not comment on the woman's employment, although it is believed she still works at the Mount St complex but no longer acts as a credit card agent.