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Beshear: Don't Pay Upfront for Debt Relief

Beshear: Don't Pay Upfront for Debt Relief
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Mar. 23, 2018 | FRANKFORT, KY
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 23, 2018 | 06:06 PM | FRANKFORT, KY
In a new scam alert issued by Attorney General Andy Beshear today, Kentuckians are being warned of telemarketing calls offering instant credit card debt relief for a fee.

The Attorney General's office obtained a recording of a call from an agent with "Financial Planning Card Services." The caller claims to be affiliated with all major banks and can provide credit card debt relief by negotiating a lower interest rate, as low as zero percent. Beshear said these type of calls often end with a victim providing their personal information and an upfront fee to the scammer who never delivers on the deal to lower the interest rate.

"Charging Kentuckians, then failing to help them lower their debts is no service at all, it is a scam," said Beshear. "Kentuckians concerned about their credit card interest rates should work directly with the credit card company to determine if they will negotiate your rates."

The Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule prohibits for-profit companies that sell debt relief services over the phone from charging a fee before they actually settle or reduce a consumer's debt. Kentucky state law also places prohibitions on legitimate debt adjusters.  

The Office of the Attorney General refers Kentuckians with high credit card debt and in need of legitimate debt adjuster assistance to the nonprofit National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
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