Treat guarantees and urgency as warnings
Be cautious when a company promises to remove accurate negative information, create a new credit identity, settle every debt, obtain special government forgiveness, or produce a specific score increase. Unexpected calls or messages demanding financial information or immediate payment deserve independent verification.
Do not pay for nonexistent results
The FTC warns about credit-repair and debt-relief operations that charge prohibited upfront fees or tell consumers to stop paying creditors without clearly explaining consequences. Do not file a false identity-theft report, dispute information you know is accurate, or misstate facts on an application.
Verify before sharing information
Look up the company through independent official sources, read the written contract and cancellation terms, and confirm licenses where state law requires them. Never give a caller a password, verification code, full Social Security number, or remote access to a device. Report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Official sources
Key law references
- Credit Repair Organizations Act
- Telemarketing Sales Rule
- FTC Act
Educational Use Only