topic Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment in Credit Cards

Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

FICO-Quest — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:32:26 GMT

Out of nowhere I recently received a "We're sorry you weren't approved..." message from Credit Karma with a "Claim your Karma Guarantee" link. Next thing I know there was a $50 GC in my email. Funny thing is I haven't been denied anything in over a year (Citibank). I certainly didn't ever apply through a CK link, and there are no new or unknown hard or soft inquiries on my reports (they're locked right now anyway).

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

NoMoreE46 — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 23:12:59 GMT

@FICO-Quest wrote:
Out of nowhere I recently received a "We're sorry you weren't approved..." message from Credit Karma with a "Claim your Karma Guarantee" link. Next thing I know there was a $50 GC in my email. Funny thing is I haven't been denied anything in over a year (Citibank). I certainly didn't ever apply through a CK link, and there are no new or unknown hard or soft inquiries on my reports (they're locked right now anyway).

If you didn't apply, File a fraud report and put a Credit Lock on your reports now.

Forget the $50.

It appears someone may have applied using your PII- email, address and SSN.

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

GZG — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 23:43:44 GMT

@NoMoreE46 wrote:
@FICO-Quest wrote:
Out of nowhere I recently received a "We're sorry you weren't approved..." message from Credit Karma with a "Claim your Karma Guarantee" link. Next thing I know there was a $50 GC in my email. Funny thing is I haven't been denied anything in over a year (Citibank). I certainly didn't ever apply through a CK link, and there are no new or unknown hard or soft inquiries on my reports (they're locked right now anyway).

If you didn't apply, File a fraud report and put a Credit Lock on your reports now.

Forget the $50.

It appears someone may have applied using your PII- email, address and SSN.

I'd also be concerned their CK is compromised, so make sure that is on 2fa is on for that (and everything else)

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

Lou-natic — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:02:33 GMT

OP says their credit reports are frozen, got $50 from CK from a failed approval...seems a little sketchy but it looks like the credit freezes did their job at any rate so that's good.

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

NoMoreE46 — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:18:37 GMT

@Lou-natic wrote:
OP says their credit reports are frozen, got $ 50 from CK from a failed approval...seems a little sketchy but it looks like the credit freezes did their job at any rate so that's good.

Any fraud issues aside, to get that $50, there are a few conditions. IIRC, one must open a CK checking account ...

Not an option for that $50 to be sent to your existing bank.

Maybe OP can clarify.

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

SouthJamaica — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 15:32:16 GMT

@FICO-Quest wrote:
Out of nowhere I recently received a "We're sorry you weren't approved..." message from Credit Karma with a "Claim your Karma Guarantee" link. Next thing I know there was a $50 GC in my email. Funny thing is I haven't been denied anything in over a year (Citibank). I certainly didn't ever apply through a CK link, and there are no new or unknown hard or soft inquiries on my reports (they're locked right now anyway).

I have to agree with @NoMoreE46 that you should work on the assumption that there was a fraudulent attempt to open a credit card by someone, and with @GZG that it was done using your Credit Karma site. So I would quickly change my CK log-in at the very least.

If it were me, I would notify Credit Karma, and offer to return the $50.

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

FICO-Quest — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:13:40 GMT

Update: Received an email response from Credit Karma about this, and it seems to be related to a Citi CustomCash application I submitted *directly* from my existing Citi account - LAST YEAR! Citi wanted to do IV and first sent a 4506-T, which I returned. They replied with a letter saying they needed a 4506-C, so I sent that one in. After that another letter came back stating that the return address for the tax return was wrong (that they pre-printed on the 4506-C copy that they sent me). Since I ignored them after that, it seems they reported the application pending for an extended period before closing it, declined/denied. Since CK had the Karma Guarantee in my profile, they finally picked up on the denial and sent me an email with a choice of several GC options. In the meantime I received another pre-selected offer from Citi, applied and got the card...posted in approvals.

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

GZG — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:17:30 GMT

@FICO-Quest wrote:
Update: Received an email response from Credit Karma about this, and it seems to be related to a Citi CustomCash application I submitted *directly* from my existing Citi account - LAST YEAR!

well that's not creepy or terrifying in any way at all

glad to hear it wasn't fraud though

Re: Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

SouthJamaica — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 04:37:40 GMT

@FICO-Quest wrote:
Update: Received an email response from Credit Karma about this, and it seems to be related to a Citi CustomCash application I submitted *directly* from my existing Citi account - LAST YEAR! Citi wanted to do IV and first sent a 4506-T, which I returned. They replied with a letter saying they needed a 4506-C, so I sent that one in. After that another letter came back stating that the return address for the tax return was wrong (that they pre-printed on the 4506-C copy that they sent me). Since I ignored them after that, it seems they reported the application pending for an extended period before closing it, declined/denied. Since CK had the Karma Guarantee in my profile, they finally picked up on the denial and sent me an email with a choice of several GC options. In the meantime I received another pre-selected offer from Citi, applied and got the card...posted in approvals.

Thanks for posting the update. So no need to worry after all.

Congratulations on the approval.