Unsolicited Karma Guarantee Payment

[FICO-Quest]

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).

[NoMoreE46]

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@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).

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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.

[GZG]

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@NoMoreE46 wrote:

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@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).

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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.

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

[Lou-natic]

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.

[NoMoreE46]

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@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.

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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.

[SouthJamaica]

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@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).

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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.

[FICO-Quest]

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.

[GZG]

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@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!  

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

glad to hear it wasn't fraud though

[SouthJamaica]

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@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.

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

Congratulations on the approval.