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Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

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ngerasimatos
Valued Contributor

Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

I have been sent quite a few offers from individuals representing credit repair companies offering cash in exchange for adding AU to my accounts. has anyone ever done this or does anyone know about this? On email corespondent stated that for every AU I add to an account, they will pay me $300 a month, and I dont even need to ship the individual the card. This has got to be a scam, right? I mean, logically, it makes sense. But something just seems so wrong.

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value
Albert Einstein 1879 - 1955

800+ Club
Message 1 of 17
16 REPLIES 16
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

Yes, these exist! Its called piggybacking or buying or selling "seasoned trade lines". These businesses have been around for quite some time. IMO, they're very shady.

Message 2 of 17
haulingthescoreup
Moderator Emerita

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

They're also targeted by the FICO 08 scores that are starting to be used more and more.

 

Originally, FICO 08 was going to ignore ALL AU accounts for scoring purposes, because of the piggybacking abuse. But there was an uproar (rightfully so, IMO) about the damage this would cause older spouses, typically wives, whose only credit derived from AU cards, and FICO 08 backed off.

 

However, there is something in the FICO 08 formula (details definitely not available) that attempts to determine whether there is some legitimate connection between the two people on an AU account. We're guessing same last names (even if one person's name has changed via marriage, the old name should still show up), shared addresses (ditto for old addresses), and so forth.

* Credit is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. * Who's the boss --you or your credit?
FICO's: EQ 781 - TU 793 - EX 779 (from PSECU) - Done credit hunting; having fun with credit gardening. - EQ 590 on 5/14/2007
Message 3 of 17
tray
Valued Contributor

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

I also recieved a private message right on this forum about this a while back and I just deleted it, whoever sent it I thought had alot of nerve.


Starting Score: EQ 546 TU 566
Current Score: EQ 693TU 08 729 EX 08 738Need to Garden/New Accounts
Goal Score: 800
Message 4 of 17
fused
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

 


@tray wrote:

 

I also recieved a private message right on this forum about this a while back and I just deleted it, whoever sent it I thought had alot of nerve.


I know who it was and they have been permanently banned. Thank you for deleting it. In the future, feel free to PM me or another mod if you receive another PM like that.

 

Message 5 of 17
haulingthescoreup
Moderator Emerita

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

 


@tray wrote:

I also recieved a private message right on this forum about this a while back and I just deleted it, whoever sent it I thought had alot of nerve.


 

Yes, we had a spammer hit quite a few members with pm's. That person is, ummm, no longer with us.

 

Well, not on the forums. I don't think they put an actual hit on him/her. Smiley Very Happy

 

 

eta: whoops, fused beat me to it.

* Credit is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. * Who's the boss --you or your credit?
FICO's: EQ 781 - TU 793 - EX 779 (from PSECU) - Done credit hunting; having fun with credit gardening. - EQ 590 on 5/14/2007
Message 6 of 17
jforsyth
Regular Contributor

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

There's a guy on another board that has added other frequent posters to his 20+ year old Amex...

 

Seems crazy to me. I would never add someone I didn't know personally.

___________________________________

EQ FAKO: 779 (03/26/15)
TU FAKO: 785(03/26/15)
Citi Double Cash | Citi Forward | BankAmericard Cash Rewards | Amex Zync
Message 7 of 17
ngerasimatos
Valued Contributor

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

 


@jforsyth wrote:

There's a guy on another board that has added other frequent posters to his 20+ year old Amex...

 

Seems crazy to me. I would never add someone I didn't know personally.


I dont see how it could hurt. I mean, if you add someone, but retain the cards in your possession. Then what harm could happen? Right?

 

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value
Albert Einstein 1879 - 1955

800+ Club
Message 8 of 17
blacklotus
Regular Contributor

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

I have no AU's and have never been an AU.

 

Last year I googled info on this after reading some threads on AU's here in this forum.  

 

On the Web I found people that were willing to add you as an AU on their Amex Black card under the condition that you pay the AF for both the AU and yourself.  I think you actually get a card.  I think that's like paying 3k to carry a card that, in essence, isn't really yours to begin with.  I wonder if anyone wanted one of those CC's so bad as to actually have done this???


TU Fico 736 EQ Fico 730 (December 2012)
Message 9 of 17
ngerasimatos
Valued Contributor

Re: Offers to add AU to credit cards for money?

3k for a black card. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

 

 

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value
Albert Einstein 1879 - 1955

800+ Club
Message 10 of 17
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