Online Credit Card – prepaid application

Jimmy Roos asked:


Ask any credit card owner what they fear the most and they’re likely to tell you they fear falling prey to a credit card scam.

Although credit scams have been around for as long as we can remember it is especially now with the advent of the internet that they have become a real headache.

The particular danger with online scams is that it may take a while before you notice it; and by that time your credit card may have been totally maxed out, leaving you in a deep dark hole.

Of course, you can proof that you were not responsible for such debts especially if they happened in a far off place where you could not have been.

However such an experience can shake you up so much, that it puts you off buying online for good.

Now one of the most common ways to get sucked into an online scam is through email. The e-mails are so professionally done that people get fooled easily.

These type of scams are called “phishing” and how it works is this. You’ll receive an email which purports to come from your credit card company, while in reality it is not.

The email message will link to a website prepared by the scammers. When arriving at the website you’ll be prompted to enter your credit card details.

The moment you do this you’ll have revealed your credit card details to the scammers who can then go on a shopping spree with your credit card until it’s maxed out.

Hence the best advice I can give anyone is this. Never click on a link in an email from someone you don’t trust, even if it threatens to suspend or close your account. This by the way, is a well-known tactic used by scammers to prompt you into taking the desired action, which is to click on their email link.

One thing to remember is that a real and legitimate business will never ask for your personal details in an email. The best thing to do if you’re at all suspicious about an email you received is to give your credit card company a call. They will quickly be able to tell you if this email is legitimate or not. They will probably give you an email address, so that you can forward the suspicious email to them.



ARTHUR

Jeff Moynihan asked:


With the advent of the Internet, the way we run our businesses has changed dramatically. It has made the world spin faster and no one wants to wait for anything anymore than few seconds to few minutes. Waiting for 300 seconds too long and it is frustrating. The credit industry tries to exploit this growing weakness of the society to market its products. They try to attract customers through instant online cards and online credit card approval schemes.

How does the online credit card approval system work?

Once you fill your application online for your choice of credit card your credit details will be verified by the system; if you have your credit history anywhere between good and excellent then you are certain to get your card application approved and you will be notified of your status through email. In case of poor credit, your application will be declined and this too will be notified of the status of the application.

Is it safe to apply online?

You have to be careful while you apply for any cards; stories on online card scams never cease. Try to identify reputable credit card companies before you apply for your card. If you suspect that the application is requesting unnecessary information then be warned and try to check on other online application forms to see whether they request similar information. Secondly, be cautious of the terms and conditions; double check everything before you submit the details. Many online card approval schemes demand security deposits. The range of security deposits vary from $200 to $600.

Is online card approval really useful?

The answer would be yes and no. It is useful because you know the status of your application for the card instantly, you will know whether your application has been approved or not. You save yourself from the painful period of waiting and also the frustration when your application happens to be declined. It is lot more helpful to be updated of the status even if it is going to be declined so that you can start checking out for other options.

Besides that, card applications to a great extent seem not to worry about the credit history. There are people who have got their application approved even without a good credit history. However, we are not sure whether those are some exceptional cases or whether that is the general trend with online card applications. For some strange reasons there are also people with good credit history whose applications have been declined. This can be due to various possible reasons including the inability of the system to access the credit history of the applicant at the time of the application submission.

Even though your application gets approved instantly you have to wait for your card to reach you through mail before you can start using it. This is yet another marketing gimmick from the credit cards industry.

Summary: Today it is possible to apply for credit cards online and know the status of your application through online credit card approval. You have to be extra careful while applying for your card online enticed by instant approvals, as you might become one of the victims of online credit card scam.



DARIN