Be Vigilant And Spot Phony Credit Repair Services

I’m sure you’ve seen ads on television or the Internet, or even in the papers, with all these services claiming they can fix your bad credit. These are scammers and they are a must to be avoided. What’s worse, they will claim that nobody else offers a service like theirs, and will unscrupulously remove truthful information and replace it with fake, fraudulent information which they hope to swing to your favor. These are obvious scams.

Be wary if you are asked for a large sum of money before the credit-repair company completes the job. A money-back guarantee will not protect you from a disreputable company.

Avoid New Credit Identities

“File segregation” is one of the many gimmicks offered by these credit repair scammers, and they would usually prey on those who filed for bankruptcy with this particular ruse. It sounds too good to be true – they will ask you if you wish to obtain a new credit identity to erase your old, unfavorable one. It IS too good to be true. File segregation is illegal. If you use it, you could face fines or imprisonment.

Other Scams

A lot of us want the easiest possible way out of our credit predicament, and this is also where credit scammers come into play.

First, we have credit by phone. Credit scammers often use 900 numbers, or pay-per-call services to market and operate their fraudulent activities. They would claim that all you need to do is call to get guaranteed credit. Instead, the caller might only receive a list of banks offering low-interest credit cards or a booklet on how to establish credit – and a phone charge of $50 or more. Obviously, it’s not a good way to establish credit.

You can also be scammed with a credit card offer. Gold or platinum credit cards would be offered to those with bad credit, as a means to help them rebuild their credit rating. They may sound like your typical credit card, but oftentimes your card would only be taken at certain stores, and wouldn’t do a thing to help you build credit. And for a giveaway clue that these cards aren’t for real – they will make you call a 900 number to get customer service or additional info. These phone charges add up quickly.

Checking-account scam. You would first get a postcard that promises you fast credit card approval and low interest. Here’s where it falls apart – they will request your checking account info as a means of verification. Once they’ve got your number, they will encode it on a draft, forward it to your bank, and charge you for the card application.

Make sure you report these scams the moment you get wind of them, either to the Consumer Protection Hotline or with the Attorney General’s Office. Don’t make the mistake of sharing your personal information with companies you don’t, and shouldn’t trust. After all, you don’t want to become an unlikely and unwilling victim of a credit card repair scam.

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