How to Avoid Credit Repair Scams

By: William Brooks

One common scam that's prevalent on the web today are the ones that claim they know people within the bureaus that they can sweet talk into deleting unsatisfactory items from your reports.

They may know people that work within the agencies, but no one is going to risk their job to erase things from your record just because someone asked them to do it for a stranger.

The only time anything can get fixed on a credit report is when something is verified to be incorrect. But those you can take care of yourself. All you have to do is report is and if it's determined that it truly is an error, it will get fixed.

Companies that state this claim to you are more likely to take your money and run. No company is allowed to take money until they've actually done what they've promised to do.

Another common scam is when a company tells you that they know how to convince the bureaus that you don't really owe a particular debt. The truth is, if you really owe the debt, then there's nothing that can be done.

The company that tells you this will either take the money and run or will make a weak attempt at a resolution and then charge you anyway. No debt can be erased from a record unless it's proven to be false or it's too old for it to be still listed on the reports.

Another common scam to look out for is companies that say they can change the whole credit file into one good clean one. Sorry, it won't really happen. Your debts will remain on there and any activity you do will be reported on it.

There's no true way to get a clean record without paying off your debts and paying bills on time. There are some companies that are even offering loans with their credit repair services.

Don't fall for that. A legitimate company will repair what truly needs to be repaired and that's it. If you need a loan, that should be done by you. Look out for the 900 number scams.

If a company tells you to call a 900 number to find more information on their services, then look elsewhere. The 900 numbers will charge you per minute for the phone call.

There are companies out there that will fix incorrect items on your credit reports, but it's best to try to fix those on your own. All you have to do is report the error via letter or email and the agency will investigate and correct your report for you.

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