When is a cancelled credit card not cancelled?

[Fishface]

Its a 'fraud' transactions - Brazil is apparently the biggest originator of credit card fraud. There are kids 'employed' in the locutorios to do hundreds of small transactions that people in the US and EUR dismiss as 'nothing'.

[expat]

Me (losing the will to live): Fine just send the revised bill and I'll just have to hope it doesn't happen again.

Credit $12 less $5 administration charge?

[gadgetman]

I lived in the US for a couple of years to 2002 and when I came back I continued to use my US-based Amex card. I eventually paid this off and cancelled the card in 2005.

Yesterday, out of the blue, I got a bill from them (redirected to my current address) with a debit for $12 odd on it, from a location in Sao Paolo. The statement showed credit limit $0, cash advance limit $0.

I eventually got through to customer services in the US. The conversation went like this:

Amex: Hmm, looks like someone has used it in Spain.
Me: Er, I think you'll find that's Brazil. Somewhere I've never visited.
Amex: Let me put you on hold while I look into it.

some time later

Amex: Sir, we do apologise, it appears that someone manually entered a transaction and typed the wrong digits. We'll credit the amount immediately.
Me: Fine but can you tell me how a transaction was authorised on a credit card card that was cancelled 3 years ago with a $0 credit limit? How can I be sure this won't happen again?
Amex: Oh I don't know, you'd have to contact the authorisations department. We will send you a new bill showing the credited amount.
Me: Well I'd better give you my new address because I only got the bill because my mail is currently being forwarded.
Amex: No problem. What is the password on the account?
Me: I've no idea, I closed it 3 years ago.
Amex: Oh, it appears there is actually no password on the account. Let me set one up. I have to put you on hold.

Time passes..

Amex: sorry to keep you waiting. We don't have enough information to be able to create a password. I'm going to have to speak to the password department(!)

Time passes:

Amex: Sir, I'm sorry but the password department are unable to set a password. They say to send in the portion on the rear of the bill to tell us of an address change.
Me: Right, I'm reading that and it says that if your are outside the US you need to phone up with the new address details to customer services. Which is you, right?
Amex: Oh, you are out of the country?
Me: Yes, I'm in the UK
Amex: Oh, I don't know what we can do then.
Me (losing the will to live): Fine just send the revised bill and I'll just have to hope it doesn't happen again.

Wonder if this can happen to UK-based cards?