How To Spot Credit Card Scams

Most people don't realize how common Credit card scams are. Many companies target the consumers with less than perfect credit or those with badly damaged credit. For those consumers companies are not banging down the door to offer you a credit card with a great deal.

The unfortunate thing is the offers from these credit card companies seem like legitimate offers. Usually the credit company will give you offers that include astronomically high interest rates, steep fees and other crazy terms.

In the mail you might receive pre-approved credit card offers from different companies that disguised them as valid Visa's or MasterCard's. But in actuality they are offering cards that good for only store clubs or catalogue clubs. Usually their sales pitch informs you that you have received pre-approval for a credit line of up to $5,000 and they require no security deposit. They are targeting you by giving you the sense that you are restoring your credit and getting the taste of once again having the convenience of having your own credit card.

Because you may be desperate to own a credit card you may ignore the fact the offer sound too good to be true and jump on any offer you receive in the mail. Make sure that you really read all the fine print in these offers you receive in the mail. Before you commit to anything look very thoroughly through the offer.

Such credit card scams tell you that you are pre-approved for a MasterCard with a $5,000 credit limit. They inform you that you simply need to verify your personal information in order to activate the card. In order to verify the accuracy of your information, they ask that you sign the credit card offer and mail the application back in. Afterwards, your credit card will be mailed to you promptly.

But if you have taken the time to read the document carefully you will see that this is not an ordinary MasterCard credit card. You will only have the ability to use this credit card to purchase items on their special online or at a specific store. This credit card will not be valid anywhere else. The products that can usually be purchase with these credit cards are off brand electronics and house ware items.

Once you really started to read the terms for the credit card you will find that most of these companies require you to first mail them a check or money order of about $299 to activate the offer. They then tell you that you will be able to recoup your money by special discounts you will receive after you have made you first purchase with the credit card. In addition to the activation fees they also hit you with enormous annual fees. These fees you run a couple hundred dollars. Hopefully you have come to the realization that this is not an appealing offer.

Most of these types of credit card offers will charge you upward of 45% interest, which is obscenely high. So it is vital that you have read all the information contained in credit card offers.

The best advice you can receive for an offer like this is to just throw it out! Your money would be better spent on getting a secured credit card instead of paying their activation fees. You can easily get a real Visa or MasterCard with a security deposit. And by going the way of a secured credit card you will actually begin repairing your credit through the major credit bureaus. Make sure you keep this in the back of your mind when you find credit card offers in your mailbox.

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