Credit Card Company Scam Warning!

Posted On: March 30, 2005

Author: archive
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:09 pm
Post subject: PEC

Angela
Date: 9/14/2000 2:17 pm CDT

I received an offer in the mail that I was pre-qualified for a credit card. I wrote a check for the annual fee. It said to make the check payable to PEC. I have never received the credit card and can find no information on how to contact them. I’m sure PEC is an abbreviation for the bank. Can anyone help?? The back of my cancelled check is stamped “for deposit only PEC account”. I have ordered my credit report to make sure someone else did not receive the card and is using it. I feel certain this is a legitimate company….I just didn’t keep anything with their name or phone number. I need to contact them and see if they have issued the card in my name. Any suggestions of can anyone tell me what bank PEC is? Thanks for any help!

Author: archive
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:09 pm

Board Monitor - CA
Date: 9/14/2000 7:00 pm CDT

Angela,

This sounds very suspect! Out of curiousity, how much was the fee and how long ago did you apply? I have never heard of any bank requiring that checks be made payable to an abbreviation…at least any legitimate bank. I may be wrong, but I think you will never see a card from this company.

I look forward to your response.

Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
CFCCT P.R. Director
http://www.cardratings.org

Author: archive
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:10 pm

Eugene Skorodinsky
Date: 9/15/2000 1:39 am CDT

I’m sure PEC is an abbreviation for the bank.
I feel certain this is a legitimate company….

These are the statements I am NOT so sure about.

I received an offer in the mail that I was pre-qualified for a credit card.

Still, you can never be sure you will actually qualify until you submit the application, they pull up the credit report and approve you.

I wrote a check for the annual fee.

Usually annual fee is posted in your first bill, after you get the card, activate it and use it for some time.

Processing fee is required before, but those cards are for people with bad credit.

I have ordered my credit report to make sure someone else did not receive the card and is using it.

I don’t think THERE IS a card. Checking the report is a good idea, though, because besides your money, those crooks now have your SSN (you provided it in the application, right?), which gives them endless possibilities for other fraud.

> I need to contact them and see if they have issued the card in my name.

Forget that. Instead, contact credit bureaus, and, possibly, Social Security Administration, and ask them what you can do to prevent fraud from bad guys knowing your SSN.

Now, lost annual fee doesn’t sound like that big a problem, does it?

I am sorry to tell you this, Angela. But I am sure there is something you can do to protect you in the future.

Does anybody know if it’s possible to change SSN?

Eugene.

Author: archive
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:12 pm

Tim
Date: 9/16/2000 11:32 pm CDT

You can change your social security number only under certain conditions. One I know of is if you are a victim of domestic violence.

Changing because of “identity theft” still links your new number to your old number so as you don’t loose any employment benefits.

Run a search using http://www.google.com and enter key word “how to change my social security number” , the links are plentiful…

Author: archive

Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:13 pm

Jackie
Date: 11/6/2000 10:20 pm CDT

I,too,received an offer for a pre-approved credit card and sent a moneyorder for $24.00 to the company. This was in August. To date I have not received a credit card. I had the USPO check to see if the M/O was cashed, it was. I have forwarded all the information I have on the company to the mail fraud bureau of the USPO. I will forward an information
I receive to this location. PEC stands for: Providing Everyone Credit/Premier Bank. The M/O was deposited in the Bank of America but I’m not sure what state. Since the envelope the offer came in had a Chattanooga TN paid postage stamp on it, it may be a branch located in this city. I would appreciate any additional advice on who else to report this matter to. Thanks, Jackie

Author: archive
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:13 pm

Florence
Date: 11/27/2000 1:38 pm CDT

I also sent in processing fee and received no card.
Address was P.O. Box 8099 Chattanooga Tn 37414-7995

Author: archive
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 5007
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:14 pm

Board Monitor - CA
Date: 11/27/2000 2:46 pm CDT

Florence,

It was good talking to you on the phone today! Sorry about your situation…looks like you have indeed been a victim of a fraud. I did a search on the internet ( http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois ) to find out more information about their web site ( http://www.pecredit.com ). Their web site is down (surpise, suprise!). Turns out that the e-mail contact is:

gottapagem@aol.com

Definitely not an indication of a professional business! We will try to put a notice on our “Scams” page about this “company” to warn others. Please post any additional info. that you find out about this scam.

Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
CFCCT P.R. Director
http://www.cardratings.org

Author: Board Monitor
Board Monitor/ Administrator
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 648
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 3:58 pm

As a follow-up to this scam, we received a call today from a PI (private investigator) who claims that the FBI has caught the culprits of this crime!!!

What is amazing is that apparently a bankruptcy attorney by the name of Shannon Clark was the source of the fraud. More info here:

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_55122.asp

Can’t trust anyone these days.

At any rate, justice has been served…
_________________
Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
Board Monitor
http://www.cardratings.com
(501) 663-0314