How To Spot Credit Repair Scams

Be leery if you are tempted to contact a credit-repair company. The Federal Trade Commission and several attorneys general have sued credit-repair companies for falsely promising to remove bad information from credit reports. Here are tips to follow:

Contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222 to check for complaints made against a company.

Avoid companies that tell you truthful information can be changed or erased to improve your credit or that only the credit-repair company can remove old or inaccurate information. These claims are false.

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

If you have filed for bankruptcy, you may be the target of a credit-repair scheme, often called "file segregation." Here, you are promised a chance to hide unfavorable credit information by establishing a new credit identity.

However, there is a problem: File segregation is illegal. If you use it, you could face fines or imprisonment.

Other scams

Consumers looking for an easy fix often are targets of other credit-related scams:

Credit by phone: Pay-per-call or 900-number services have become a popular vehicle for credit scams. Advertisements promise that "guaranteed" credit or cash loans are only a phone call away. 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. Consumers rarely end up getting credit.

Gold or platinum cards: Beware of promotions for gold or platinum cards that promise to get you credit and build your rating. Although they may sound like all-purpose credit cards, some cards only permit you to buy merchandise from special catalogs and will not help you obtain other credit. You also might be asked to call a 900 or 976 exchange number for more information. These phone charges add up quickly.

Checking-account scam: This scam, which tricks you into disclosing your checking-account number, typically begins with a postcard advertising easy credit approval or low-interest credit card rates. When you call, you are asked for your checking-account number as "verification." Your number then can be magnetically encoded on a draft, which is forwarded to your unsuspecting bank for payment from your account.

Do You Know How To Spot Credit Repair Scams?

You may see ads on TV, online, or in the newspaper claiming that your bad credit can be quickly and easily fixed. Don’t fall prey to these scam artists.

Avoid companies that tell you truthful information can be changed or erased to improve your credit or that only the credit-repair company can remove old or inaccurate information. These claims are false.

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

If you have filed for bankruptcy, you may be the target of a credit-repair scheme, often called "file segregation." Here, you are promised a chance to hide unfavorable credit information by establishing a new credit identity.

However, there is a problem: File segregation is illegal. If you use it, you could face fines or imprisonment.

Other scams

Consumers looking for an easy fix often are targets of other credit-related scams:

Credit by phone: Pay-per-call or 900-number services have become a popular vehicle for credit scams. Advertisements promise that "guaranteed" credit or cash loans are only a phone call away. 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. Consumers rarely end up getting credit.

Gold or platinum cards: Beware of promotions for gold or platinum cards that promise to get you credit and build your rating. Although they may sound like all-purpose credit cards, some cards only permit you to buy merchandise from special catalogs and will not help you obtain other credit. You also might be asked to call a 900 or 976 exchange number for more information. These phone charges add up quickly.

Checking-account scam: This scam, which tricks you into disclosing your checking-account number, typically begins with a postcard advertising easy credit approval or low-interest credit card rates. When you call, you are asked for your checking-account number as "verification." Your number then can be magnetically encoded on a draft, which is forwarded to your unsuspecting bank for payment from your account.

If you suspect a credit-repair scam, file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General's Office online or by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222.

Never give out your bank account or credit-card number unless you know the company is reputable. Don’t be a victim of these credit card repair scams.

Choose Your Credit Repair Company With Caution

Almost everyone has some kind of debt. Most people have credit cards, student loans, a mortgage, or car payments. Your timeliness in paying off these loans make up your credit history, something that people usually donТt think about until itТs too late and you are declined on an application. Your credit history is an important tool in maintaining your financial stability, and can have a big impact on your way of life. Once your credit rating is listed as Уpoor,Ф you will have a hard time renting a car, putting a deposit on a service, or getting a credit card. If you have bad credit, it is important to begin working toward credit repair right away, before you find that the damage gets worse.

Many people find the thought of improving their credit history to be daunting, and might understandably be tempted by a company online that offers to quickly fix their bad credit for a price. Though there are situations where one of these credit repair companies may prove useful, in most situations they are unnecessary.

Credit repair companies arenТt a realistic solution for most people, because they provide you with a service that you are able to do perfectly well on your own. These credit repair companies will have you obtain a copy of your current credit report from a credit-reporting agency. They will then launch an attack on each of the negative items on your report, in writing. They donТt do this with the idea that you have many mistakes on your credit report, but in the attempt to take advantage of the credit reporting agencyТs legal obligation to respond to all investigation requests within 30 days. In effect, the credit repair company is gambling. If the credit reporting agency fails to respond within the specified time period (difficult to do if you multiple items are challenged at once) they are required to remove the challenged item (or items) from your credit report.

This may seem clever, but it is important to remember that the credit reporting agency can put the items they removed from your credit report right back on once have the correct documentation. You could end up paying the credit repair company to perform a УserviceФ that was undone a month or two later.

Aside from this strategy that some credit repair companies use, many more companies like this regularly scam their customers. Remember that these companies, by law, must render all promised services before they accept your payment. They must also clearly outline every fee and service that they intend to provide. If you do choose to enlist the services of a credit repair company, read over all paperwork and fine print to avoid possible scams.

For most people, using the services of a credit repair company isnТt necessary. Make sure that if you do decide to use one, that you check them out completely and that they are actually able to perform a service that you can't, or don't have the inclination to do on your own.