I am filing this Rip-off Report with the hopes that you will pass it on to everyone in your address books to warn people about a scam that was perpetrated on my mother.

In March, my mother got a call from a company wanting to sell her credit card fraud protection. The cost was $385.00 which was supposed to be for 10 years. My mother is 77 years old and lives on a fixed income of $790.00. She really didn't want it, but they were pretty persuasive and told her she couldn't afford to be without it. She gave them her credit card number.

She tried to get it stopped, but it had already been billed to her Visa. What she got in the mail from this company was a cheap packet entitled 'Your Guide To Lower Interest Rates.' Nothing about credit card fraud. She realized she had been 'taken,' but was afraid to tell anyone because she thought her family would scold her.

A few weeks later on June 22nd, she received a call from Western Union informing her that someone was trying to charge $9400.00 to her credit card. She told them she hadn't authorized that. They asked if anyone else had her card number and she said no. The company that sold her this 'bill of goods' had her number.

I arrived in Iowa to visit my mother on June 23rd. At that time she told me about everything that had happened. I called the Company that originally SOLD her 'credit card fraud insurance.' I was on the phone for one hour and fifteen minutes (most of it on hold) and spoke to 5 different people. One of their customer service representatives asked me if I thought they would be stupid enough to sell a thirty-five cent packet for $385.00? I told her I thought that was exactly what they had done. One representative told me that my mother had purchased 'access' to a low interest credit card. Why would anyone need to purchase that????

I was getting no satisfaction and a lot of different answers. This company is operating a scam if there ever was one. The last gentleman I spoke to even accused me of being rude. I told him since they weren't going to do the honorable thing and refund my Mother's money, then I would give them some FREE advertising on the internet. I have reason to believe they also may be connected in some way with a company called Bay Area Business Counsel.

Please help me spread the word by sending this Rip-off Report to everyone you know. You might even print it and then fax it to everyone you know.
iW7-16