Guaranteed Amex Approval? Is this a scam????

striper · ‎10-15-2008

I came accross this ad on Craigs List. What do you think? Looks shady:

APPROVAL FOR AN AMEX CARD--REGARDLESS OF BAD CREDIT--READ FOR DETAILS (Midtown West)
Reply to: serv-879798655@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-10-15, 1:06AM EDT

Hi Everyone, if you have bad credit in the form of delinguent accounts, latenesses, or charge offs, I can still guarantee you an American Express card.
Please note that if you have bankruptcy or any charge offs with American Express, you will not qualify!

This is 100% legitimate and you dont pay unless I get you approved!

I am a certified financial planner who has been helping individuals restore theu credit and get their lives back. My fee in securing the card for you is $500.

Please note that I do not accept credit card payments, money orders or paypal.
I only accept Cash so you must live in New York. If you live outside New York, I can still help you but need a guarantee that you will pay once you receive approval.

Please note that I do not do business via internet. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎10-15-2008

possible way for someone to get you to give you all their info to "get the card"

Uncle_Money · ‎10-15-2008

I would stay FAR away from this offer, and anything like it. Amex, or any other prime lender for that matter will simpy not issue credit to someone who has these types of blemishes on their report.

MsKiwi · ‎10-15-2008

scam. Like mamma used to say "If it sounds to good to be true..........."

Anonymous · ‎10-16-2008

That looks seriously dodgy to me... it has 'scam' written all over it. There's something definitely not right about it...

And edited to say... it almost sounds like they're 'guaranteeing' you an AU card. In return for all your information and a nice hefty fee. Steer well clear.

Message Edited by fevmlo on 10-16-2008 07:46 AM

Anonymous · ‎10-16-2008

Defenetly scam.

FretlessMayhem · ‎10-16-2008

Definitely seems fishy. I'd like to think that if this were legitimate at least some of us here on the boards would know about it by now.

Here we go again...

striper · ‎10-16-2008

The odd thing is that upon replying to the ad, the person behind it is a "certified financial planner" with a website and business.

score_building · ‎10-16-2008

that's a good point Fretless. it would seem unlikely that nobody here at all had any knowledge of such an opportunity if a legitimate one like this existed. i doubt it's some brand new program for amex entre dreamt up during the credit crunch as a way to...? increase amexes exposure to default risk, just implausible

there are several things that are a bit suspect about the 'offer' including the demand for cash only payment.

@striper wrote:
The odd thing is that upon replying to the ad, the person behind it is a "certified financial planner" with a website and business.

he's got a website and business that accepts cash only...?

Message Edited by score_building on 10-16-2008 08:34 AM

DCU EQ 5.0, Citi EQ 08 Bankcard, PenFed EX NG2
EX 08: AFCU, Amex, Chase, PSECU EX 98(?)
TU 08: Barclays, Discover

striper · ‎10-16-2008

Here is my take. Either this guy is for real, and has a friend in the approval/application department; or this guy has a friend on the other end of the phone pretending to be an Amex representative and approves the on-phone application.

But if it is the first, then its only a matter of time before Amex reviews the credit and cancels the acct since it wouldnt have been approved in the first place.