Voice of the White House January 15, 2009
TBR News – January 16, 2009
“In times of economic distress, rely on the bottom feeders to crawl out from under damp things to ply their games on the desperate. I have noticed a great proliferation of ads all over the internet these days concerning so-called ‘Credit Scores.” Viewers are urged to click on this or that icon to obtain An Absolutely Free Credit Score!!! The problem is, and I have experimented with a number of these, just for fun, is that you do pay for this
“Get your credit report from Experian, Equifax and Trans-Union….”Absolutely Free!” However, after typing in your name, email address, home address and telephone number, you are then asked for your credit card number! And we see just above where you are supposed to type the credit card number in, the following subtle message:
“Typing my e-mail address below will constitute my electronic signature and is my written authorization to charge/debit my account according to the Offer Details. By clicking "Submit", I have read and agree to the Privacy Matters 1-2-3 and Privacy Plus Offer Details on the previous page and the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions for both programs. Tell us which card you would like to use for your $1.00 fee”
I personally tried one of these phony come-ons and was told that: “your free credit report is currently unavailable. We will process your request and the report will be sent to you by mail. Welcome on board as a new member of the Credit Reporting Association. You will receive a full report on your personal credit rating on a weekly basis…for our low initial fee, which will automatically be charged to your credit/debit card…..”
And once the victim, for that is just what they are, pays the “low, low initial fee,” they are on the list and their credit card is nicked for money. Yes, they can opt out eventually but these people, if you want to call them that, will procrastinate until they can squeeze as much out of you as possible.
As I said, I tried this game and all the ones I looked at have this hook to catch the fish with. In four out of five the hook was there and I never got any free report. I have an old debit card with about twenty dollars on it, so the slimeballs were able to nick me but never a report, only statements that one would be mailed to me “soon” and that I was welcomed as a new member with reports coming in every week! (And bills coming every month)
Talk about scamming children and old ladies! Unlike the notorious internet Nigerian rip-off games, these are domestic. “
http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a2910.htm
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A Complete Copy of the Voice of the White House from TBR News April 18, 2004- December 29, 2005
Last updated 20/01/2009