FTC Resources for Reporters
Credit Cards
A Note About Credit Cards: Most legitimate credit cards are issued by banks, which are outside the FTC’s jurisdiction, but the FTC prosecutes non-banks that deceptively market credit cards. We’ve brought almost 60 of these cases, typically against scammers who falsely promise that, in return for an up-front fee, you’ll get a credit card or a loan before you apply, especially if you have bad credit, no credit, or a bankruptcy. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule prohibits telemarketers from collecting fees before a consumer is offered credit, if they claim a high success rate. We also sue marketers who pretend to sell credit cards like Visa or MasterCard, when in fact they’re cards are good only for shopping from certain catalogues.
Most credit card questions are best directed to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Consumer Information
