topic Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will? in Credit Cards

CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:10:24 GMT

So a coworker of mine comes in today and says he received an AMEX card in the mail. He is not, nor has he ever been an AMEX customer. I assumed he meant he got a pre-approved/pre-screened/whatever you call them offers.

However, he says it's a real card, with his name, and a bunch of documents with account information, etc. The card has one of those "Call this number to activate" stickers on it. He says he didn't apply for anything.

Is this even legal?

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

LS2982 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:12:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So a coworker of mine comes in today and says he received an AMEX card in the mail. He is not, nor has he ever been an AMEX customer. I assumed he meant he got a pre-approved/pre-screened/whatever you call them offers.

However, he says it's a real card, with his name, and a bunch of documents with account information, etc. The card has one of those "Call this number to activate" stickers on it. He says he didn't apply for anything.

Is this even legal?

Sounds like some kind of fraud is going on to me

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:13:54 GMT

Its highly unlikely the credit card company did this itself. Its either he was sleepapplying or this is fraud. He should freeze all three reports immidiately...

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Walt_K — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:15:27 GMT

You should here some of the things my coworkers say.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:45:34 GMT

@Walt_K wrote:
You should here some of the things my coworkers say.

Yea, this is what I was thinking. He's adament about it though.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

KIPPIE12 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:55:22 GMT

Tell him to bring it in for you to see if he's telling the truth. I find that hard to believe that Amex would just send a card without applying. Maybe he did sleep apply as above poster said, as i've almost done the same thing myself after spending hours on the forum.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:01:52 GMT

^Yea I told him to bring it in on Monday. He says he's going to try and contact them this weekend to get more info -- apparently he checked his mail just before coming to work today and briefly talked to a CSR on the phone. CSR told him something like "Well we saw that you had a good credit score/history and wanted to offer this to you." It really sounds like it's just any old pre-approval crap offer but he insists it's a "real" card with activation instructions on it.

He also said the card is silver in color.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:09:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
^Yea I told him to bring it in on Monday. He says he's going to try and contact them this weekend to get more info -- apparently he checked his mail just before coming to work today and briefly talked to a CSR on the phone. CSR told him something like "Well we saw that you had a good credit score/history and wanted to offer this to you." It really sounds like it's just any old pre-approval crap offer but he insists it's a "real" card with activation instructions on it.

He also said the card is silver in color.

An offer, with a "sample" card attached -- yes. A real card ready to activate? I have a really hard time believing that.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:13:52 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
^Yea I told him to bring it in on Monday. He says he's going to try and contact them this weekend to get more info -- apparently he checked his mail just before coming to work today and briefly talked to a CSR on the phone. CSR told him something like "Well we saw that you had a good credit score/history and wanted to offer this to you." It really sounds like it's just any old pre-approval crap offer but he insists it's a "real" card with activation instructions on it.

He also said the card is silver in color.

An offer, with a "sample" card attached -- yes. A real card ready to activate? I have a really hard time believing that.

Same here. Do those "sample" cards typically have some kind of sticker that he could have mistaken for the "call this number to activate" sticker? I haven't had an offer in so long I don't even remember.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:46:36 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So a coworker of mine comes in today and says he received an AMEX card in the mail. He is not, nor has he ever been an AMEX customer. I assumed he meant he got a pre-approved/pre-screened/whatever you call them offers.

However, he says it's a real card, with his name, and a bunch of documents with account information, etc. The card has one of those "Call this number to activate" stickers on it. He says he didn't apply for anything.

Is this even legal?

It was actually very common practice in the 1960s and 1970s to send our CCs unsolicited. That practice is now illegal.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

creditguy-378 — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:30:52 GMT

It has been a long time since I have seen this marketing tactic I remember when I was a kid that my dad mom and grandma got cards all the time in the mail without app. They would just need to call and app over the phone at the time then they would tell them there credit limit and it would be activated guess they are starting this again

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:49:11 GMT

@creditguy-378 wrote:
It has been a long time since I have seen this marketing tactic I remember when I was a kid that my dad mom and grandma got cards all the time in the mail without app. They would just need to call and app over the phone at the time then they would tell them there credit limit and it would be activated guess they are starting this again

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
So a coworker of mine comes in today and says he received an AMEX card in the mail. He is not, nor has he ever been an AMEX customer. I assumed he meant he got a pre-approved/pre-screened/whatever you call them offers.

However, he says it's a real card, with his name, and a bunch of documents with account information, etc. The card has one of those "Call this number to activate" stickers on it. He says he didn't apply for anything.

Is this even legal?
It was actually very common practice in the 1960s and 1970s to send our CCs unsolicited. That practice is now illegal.

Very interesting. I'll update you all on Monday when I talk to him!

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:00:16 GMT

My coworker made a mistake. The card was actually one of those "pre-approved" dummy cards. He was confused because there was a fake account number on the letter and he thought it was an account they created for him.

I still don't think he understands that it's completely legal for CCCs to send stuff like this in the mail.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:04:12 GMT

we give my nephew the fake dummy cards that come in the mail for his wallet, he likes to have his wallet look like mine lol

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:08:13 GMT

Discover just sent my mother a card in this exact fashion. It came in an orange cardboard package and says something like 'remember no annual free? True cash rewards? Great customer service?' ... And then inside "Remember your Discover?"
A card is enclosed with her old account date of 1993. Along with a sticker that says please call to activate. The account had been closed for about 10 years.
Simultaneously I've gotten a pre-approval letter from them 1-2 per week in the mail for a discover more. Guess they're really looking for customers. In my moms case, her FICO is nearly 850, so everyone likes her. Lol. She is however opted out for offers, a few banks actually comply.

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:11:05 GMT

BTW, I've checked it out. The card is 100% real, with her info and an expiration date (swiping bar etc).

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:08:08 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
BTW, I've checked it out. The card is 100% real, with her info and an expiration date (swiping bar etc).

Lots of strange stuff going on these days They must really want her to reopen that account...

Re: CCC Creating Accounts At Will?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:18:02 GMT

Yup, I remember her closing it because nobody around here at the time took discover, so she hardly ever used it. A lot has changed in that regard. Most places do seem to take it these days. At least in terms of retail outlets. I'd consider accepting one of their persistent offers but I already have more credit than I need and the rewards weren't any better than what I already have. But they're definitely persistent, though, not as bad as CITI. LOL.