Imagine Mastercard - Jefferson Capital System charging me for a card I never used SAINT CLOUD Minnesota

Unfortunately the Jefferson Capital Systems and the credit cards they offer are scams. I have a feeling that many of the positive rebuttals on here have been written by the company themselves.

I recieved a letter from Jefferson Capital trying to threaten me with legal action into signing up for a credit card to pay off an old debt that was actually paid in full and closed five years ago. No company will ever force you to sign up for new programs, especially another credit card, to pay an old debt.

I'm sorry to hear about the troubles you are having but here are a few things you can do...

First, do not rely on Jefferson Capital Systems to remove anything from your credit report and do not under any circumstances sign up for any of their products.
You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com and obtain your credit report for free. You will see an option that says "Dispute." Dispute it through the credit reporting agency and they will investigate and remove it depending on the results of their investigation.

You can also file claims with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) and the Federal Trades Commission (www.ftc.gov). The FTC has already filed suit against Jefferson Davis, so while making more claims may not help those who have already been affected by this company, it will help to insure that Jefferson Capital is not able to take advantage of other people.

Your first main concern should be disputing through the credit reporting agency. I hope you are able to resolve this.

My Dear Cookie,

The Imagine Mastercard reflecting on your credit report is not a scam. The Imagine card id a legitamate, credit-rebuilding card that can be applied for on the web. Sadly, folks can apply for credit cards on-line, so SS# act as a signature on an application. What worries me, is that even though the Imagine card application requires every inch of your personal information, you have no knowledge of this account. My guess is that you have had a breech of security. Someone (Not Imagine Mastercard) has been using your personal information to open a seccured, sub-prime line of credit.

From my expirience, most theives come from within your own circle. (ex-spouse, teenagers, house guests, and parents etc..) Real theives would steal information that leads to profit. The Imagine card is not the way to steal big money, it's not a target for ID theft, but instead its a credit building tool for people with terrible credit.

What should you do if you really don't recognise this account? Stay calm. DO NOT SWEAR, YELL OR BLAME THE REPRESENTATIVE! Even though you are frustrated, the collector is not responsible for the account. LISTEN TO THE AGENT. Most companies will find the verification you are looking for, but each company has its own policies. (DO NOT DEMAND TO SEE YOUR JOHN HANCOCK, PLACE THE BURDEN OF PROOF ON THE COLLECTOR, AND THEN HANG UP. NOTHING WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED, YOUR CREDIT REPORT WILL STILL SHOW NEGATIVELY, THE CALLS WILL STILL KEEP COMING.)

Everyone lies, collection agencies must have a method to weed out the legitamate victims of identity theft from the irresponsible, negligent consumers who don't want to pay their bills. Be prepared to point a finger; For the charge of theft to be taken seriously, most cases of identity theft will require the suggestion of a possible criminal, a police report and an alibi.

You cannot chalk this up to a (not my problem, government steps in to help) company scam. I do not believe you should direct your fears and anger at Imagine. I think you should investigate your family, friends and the people who have shared your old adress's. If the account is on your credit report, your SS# is involved. That's not a seven digit # most people can guess at with any kind of accuracy.