Many merchants start using prepaid VISA card for rebate payment. It is not uncommon to receive a prepaid debit card in the mail, either due to rebate fulfillment or bank cash card renewal.
I received the Netspend card in the mail.initially, I thought it was a rebate payment. So I proceed to activate it. I got suspicious when it asked me DoB and SSN. No card activation should ask that kind of question.
Picture this: A bad guy can easily get your name and address from the phone book and sends you a fake credit card. If you call in to activate the card with your DoB and SSN, you are pretty much giving your identity away.
So I stopped the activation process and requested service rep assistance. I asked what this card was for. He said that I received it because one of their business partner put me on the list. Of course, he could not tell me the name.
Although Netspend is not an identity thief, their marketing tactic is still deceptive. They do not identify in the package that this is a part of marketing campaign. They want you to believe that this is something you should be getting. Then they collect your sensitive information under a false pretense.
I just filed a complaint to the Federal Reserve. If you are not happy about this, you should too.
Http://www.federalreserveconsumerhelp. Gov/FormComplaint. Cfm
1-888-851-1920
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