Weird Credit Card Fraud - long

[fyodor]

2 years ago I received a MasterCard in the mail that I hadn't applied for. I never bothered activating it and never used it. 1 month later I received an invoice for the $50 annual fee. I called them and pointed out that I hadn't asked for or activated it and was therefore not paying an annual fee. They voided it and I heard no more from them.

Until today when I received 2 invoices for 2 different MCs one of which I recognized as the orginal. I called again and re-explained the situation to a very pleasant girl. She asked me what I wanted her to do.

"Void it. Get rid of it. Take me off your list. Whatever."

"But what do you want me to do sir?" she asks again.

"Listen. I never asked..blah blah blah.."

"You have to tell me what you want me to do sir"

"I don't know how else to explain it. I think I'm being clear here."

"I need you to tell me something and I don't know how to get you to say it. Let me put you on hold for a sec while I think of a way to get you to say it"

On hold...I'm thinking, thinking...What does she want me to say?..She comes back.

"I know! Cancel it!"

"You want me to close the account sir?"

"Yes! Thankyou"

"Ok and we'll close the 2nd account that was opened up under the 1st"

Looks like it's over for at least another year. How do they get away with this? Sending out cards and then just invoicing people? Don't they have to have my signature somewhere?

[Freakin]

This is a fairly common scam. They hit my future father-in-law up for the same kind of thing, but i don't know if he ever got the card in the mail, just the annual fee invoice. He managed to get them to drop the annual fee through arguing (or making his office manager do it) and didn't have to pay. I think a lot of people just get it an pay the money after a bit of arguing. Search google and see what you can find; i'm sure it's pretty common.

Freakin

[handsome]

[ QUOTE ]
2 years ago I received a MasterCard in the mail that I hadn't applied for.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is unlikely... how did they get your name and info? I've never heard of this happening to anyone I know. If you have a balance on those accounts, you should pay them off.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
2 years ago I received a MasterCard in the mail that I hadn't applied for.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is unlikely... how did they get your name and info? I've never heard of this happening to anyone I know. If you have a balance on those accounts, you should pay them off.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's unlikely because it hasn't happened to someone you know?

[handsome]

Duh.

[fyodor]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
2 years ago I received a MasterCard in the mail that I hadn't applied for.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is unlikely... how did they get your name and info? I've never heard of this happening to anyone I know. If you have a balance on those accounts, you should pay them off.

[/ QUOTE ]

uh... it happened. First Data Loan Company MasterCard. They probably had my name and address because the store I own accepts all credit cards and the MasterCard payments are done through them.

There is no balance to pay because I NEVER ACTIVATED OR USED THE CARD. I didn't want the card. I didn't need the card. I didn't apply for the card. I signed nothing. They just sent me the card and billed me the $50 annual fee.

[Sifmole]

Not recently, because I think some laws changed...

But I used to recieve credit cards in the mail ALL THE TIME --- Discover, MC, Visa, Diners Club, etc that I never requested. Do you remeber "live checks"? The would send you a "check" that you deposit at any bank for the amount on the check -- but doing so was actually agreeing to a loan from the issuing company. These have gone away as well.

As for how do they get your information? If you have a mortgage -- the info is for sale to all kinds of credit companies. If you had a student loan, ditto; any other credit card, ditto ditto; car loan, yep.... ditto. Cripes if you have a grocery store customer card, ditto. Everyone you give information too collects it all into databases. These databases are valuable, and many companies are perfectly happy to sell the information in them.

Oh yeah -- have a bank account... you info is for sale too.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

Yet another reason to check your credit regularly at annualcreditreport.com (http://www.annualcreditreport.com)

[djoyce003]

it's actually not illegal to invoice you for something that you didn't want as long as you have a choice in not paying it....there are all kinds of scams similar to this...this is just one of many.