Most likely, it shows up on your statement as a result of a flight booking or payment method you selected via American Airlines. In some cases, even if you didn’t book a flight directly via American Airlines, you may see it, like if you booked your trip through an online travel agency such as Priceline. The reason you see that name appear instead of “American Airlines” is that some of the travel agencies are located in Norwalk, which is in Connecticut, the United States.
So yes, it’s pretty understandable that this label could leave you confused, as you would normally expect to see “American Airlines” on your statement. Only to look at “AMERICAN NORWALK CT,” which makes it seem like a transaction you did not authorize or was also unexplained. Not to worry though, just the processing of that third-party transaction through their Norwalk headquarters comes in this form of showing up on your statement as “AMERICAN NORWALK CT.
Is It a Fraudulent Charge?
Most of the time though, the charge “AMERICAN NORWALK CT” is absolutely correct and not a scam at all. After booking their flight online through companies such as Priceline, many people recognize this charge and think it’s something to be worried about. They only have to realize later that the charge relates to the flight booking they made after checking their latest purchases.
Sure, the charge might not be visible immediately after making your flight reservations for example. It could show up on your account after a few days, creating some misunderstanding. However, a slowed charge should not and does not imply your account is hacked. Although the majority of these charges are valid, some people have reported instances of unauthorized transactions too. So yes, if there are multiple transactions that aren’t consistent or amounts, it could be worth further investigation, and you shouldn’t take that lightly.
How to Check If the Charge Is Legitimate
In order to be sure that the charge that says “AMERICAN NORWALK CT” is indeed a legitimate charge, you should first check the recent reservations. Like, did you book a flight recently? If yes, follow the details of that transaction. Keep in mind that sometimes, these charges are not displayed immediately, so check back for any flights or travel arrangements from the past few weeks.
And sure, if you booked a flight through an agency such as Priceline, then that charge probably relates to your flight. On the contrary, if the charge does not match any of your purchases or you see multiple charges, then it’s time to dig deeper. At that point, get in touch with your bank or credit card issuer so you can receive further information and make sure that your account is safe. If there is any bit of suspicion that your bank account or credit card is being charged without your authorization, then just come in contact with the bank people. Let them know what’s happening, and that way, you can also get a refund of the amount already deducted from all this.