Operation Clean Sweep

Operation Clean Sweep

Source Article from FTC Website:



The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reacting to thousands of complaints across the country by consumers about credit repair companies. As a result, the FTC (along with 24 state agencies in 22 states) launched Operation Clean Sweep.

The FTC is charging 33 companies with violating the FTC Act and the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA). The FTC states that these companies made false claims they could remove accurate information from their credit reports. The agency also alleged that the defendants violated the CROA by charging an advance fee for credit repair services.

Here is the list of 33 companies that are being charged with violating the CROA.

Advantage Credit Repair, LLC
Nationwide Credit Services, Inc.
Clean Credit Report Services, Inc.
Successful Credit Service Corporation
Hargrave & Associates Financial Solutions
American Credit Experts
RCA Credit Services, LLC
Good Credit Company
Payneless Credit Repair, LLC
Lee Harrison Credit Restoration
Sherrye Mance and Tiffany Morris
Absolute/Advanced Credit Services
Credit Advisors
Executive Financial Credit Services
Federal Debt Relief Systems
Financial Link Services
7 Steps to a 720 Credit Score - NOT THE 720 CREDIT GURU!!!
Integrity Credit Fix, Inc.
My Purchase Power, LLC
Enterprise Technology Group, Inc. doing business as Ameritrust Financial Card
New Leaf Associates, LLC
Financial Freedom Resources, Inc.
American Credit
Credit Counseling of the First Coast
United Credit Adjusters, Inc.
i3 Solutions
Warren and Associates
Bigger & Better Business Solutions
Affordable Computer Mobile Repair
Clean Credit Report Services, Inc.
Life Changing Credit Repair Services
The Credit Physician
Creditmax Financial, LLC

Operation Clean Sweep also includes three FTC cases announced earlier this year: Home Buyers Consulting Network, Inc., Payneless Credit Repair, LLC, and Lee Harrison Credit Restoration.

How can you avoid turning credit repair into credit despair? Here are a few suggestions from the FTC:

Avoid any company that wants you to pay for credit repair services before they provide any services. It is against the law.

Avoid any credit repair company that will not tell you your legal rights and what you can do, yourself, for free.

Avoid any credit repair company that tells you not to contact a credit reporting company directly.

Avoid any credit repair company that advises you to dispute all of the information in your credit report.

Avoid any company that suggests creating a 'new' credit identity - and then, a new credit report - by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of your Social Security number. That is against the law.

If you follow illegal advice and commit fraud, you also may be subject to prosecution.


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3 Tips to Choose the Best Credit Repair Service

By Link Robertson

Many credit repair services make it sound as if all you have to do is pay them and your credit report will be fixed. However this is not true, below is a criteria you should use when choosing a service.

Do Not Pay Large Fees

Many services will charge large upfront fees. Instead look for more standard rates such as $179 for a start up fee and then a monthly fee of $100 or less. Some services will charge per action, I do not suggest this as your fees can add up quickly to more than $100 / month.

Also you should avoid a company that says you must make a large upfront payment, these companies are typically not effective services and are looking to make a quick buck at your expense.

Look For Refunds Not Guarantees

Credit repair can not be guaranteed, esspecially upfront. This is similar to a defense attorney guaranteeing that you will be found innocent of a criminal charge - IT CAN NOT BE DONE

I strongly suggest you avoid any service that make a guarantee, instead look for a refund policy or warranty. Many good services will offer a refund if their service is ineffective or you are not satisfied.


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About Credit Restoration Associates:

Credit Restoration Associates is a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness and identity theft. We assist consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile. Everything we do is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile.

Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Credit Restoration Associates will assist a consumer in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addtion to creditors, collection agencies and third-party record providers. Keep in mind that anything we do, you can do yourself. Where Credit Restoration Associates has the edge is the fact we possess the knowledge and a proven method which yields results.

Unlike most credit service organizations that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, Credit Restoration Associates has devised a strategy whereby disputes are submitted verbally, electronically and in writing over a six month period to credit reporting agencies, creditors, collectors, and third-party record providers reporting negative, inaccurate and/or erroneous information. Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a particular state, Credit Restoration Associates has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients. Credit Restoration Consultants can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory tradelines, personal identifiers and more! The credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months. Most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.

Credit restoration is as legal as pleading "not guilty" in a court of law. With that said, though, one must understand that Credit Restoration Consultants is not a law firm and that none of its employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. As such, Credit Restoration Associates cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding. In the event that legal representation is required, Credit Restoration Associates may provide an appropriate referral for consultation.

Credit Restoration Associates Hour

Have bad credit? Need credit repair? Care to repair your own credit or even hire a credit service organization? Before you do so, you should tune into the Credit Knowledge Hour with credit repair expert Link Robertson. Link can be heard weekday's on the 9's - both 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. eastern time - on AM 1140 WRVA in Richmond Virginia. For those listening online, streaming audio can be accessed at http://www.WRVARadio.com by clicking on the listen live link.


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