I received a telephone solicitation for a credit card on behalf of the Sierra Club. But the caller started asking me a lot of personal questions, such as my salary and mother's maiden name. I refused, but he was very persistent. He said he was calling on behalf of MBNA. I'm worried about what they can do with all this personal information. Is this legitimate? It’s better to have them
send you an applicationMBNA America Bank is based in Wilmington, Del., and is the nation's second largest credit card lender, with 25 million card holders. Its main business is with 4,500 "affinity" groups, in which it gains exclusive rights to sign up members of a group with a credit card in the group's name.
MBNA spokesman Peter Frank said he could respond only in general without knowing the particulars. But he said telemarketers soliciting new credit card customers ask the type of questions you mentioned if you indicated you wanted to fill out an application over the phone. Those questions are what's found on the application, Frank said.
The alternative, if you are interested, would be to ask that an application be mailed to you, he said.
Jo Ann Uchida, executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection, advises that as your only response.
"Don't give any information (over the phone)," she said. "Just ask them to send the materials to you. It's very very dangerous to give any personal information to people you don't know."
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