http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251672,00.html

I couldn't figure out how to do a link when the url has comma's...

So what do all of y'all think of this?

I think that it seems weird they will allow them to have credit, yet if they skip out on paying it off (and without SSNs how could they track them down?) and the bank writes it off on their taxes who is going to pay for it? We the taxpayers are...

By Sandysmom on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 07:05 pm:

2933,251672,00.html ,credit cards to illegal immigrants

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 07:15 pm:

Wow - I couldn't even open a savings account without a Social Security number (though I suppose that's for tax-reporting purposes). I think it is stupid, and should not be allowed. And yes, the Bank of America will write off the losses on its tax returns. I intend to contact Bank of America and tell them I think it is wrong, and will also contact my congresswoman and senators.

By Sandysmom on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 07:15 pm:

I tried to create a link 2x but it didn't work. Sorry. Anyway, I don't think it's very smart to extend credit to illegal immigrants. You're right, we are the ones to end up paying for it.

By Vicki on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 08:11 pm:

Isn't this going to make it even easier for identity thieft? This is just nuts.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 09:00 pm:

Illegal Immigrant Link It seems risky and I'm sure we needed a social security card to get our bank accounts.

TinyURL helps you format the link differently, so that no commas are required.

By Juli4 on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 02:35 pm:

ridiculous!!

By Cocoabutter on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 11:10 pm:

If it's that easy for an illegal immigrant then imagine how easy it can be for a terrorist.

By Breann on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 11:18 pm:

Ridiculous is right. We had a family here that had their mother and 2 kids killed at Christmas time. They were hit by an illegal immigrant driving drunk. SOMETHING needs to be done about illegal immigrants.

By Unschoolmom on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 07:12 am:

I really don't get how one illeagal immigrant drunk driver relates to the issue of illeagal immigrants in general??

By Tarable on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 09:49 am:

I just wanted to know if anyone else was as annoyed by this as I am. Sorry but I live in Texas and we have plenty of illegals around. It annoys me that they are going to allow them to have credit cards and mortgages but there are sooo many people who can't get them. I am sick of paying for them to go to the dr and everything else so I don't want to foot their credit card bills too if they decide to skip out on them.

By Luvn29 on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 11:36 am:

We have to give our social security number so our credit history can be checked before we are allowed any type of credit. If they don't even have social security numbers, how can they be issued these things without credit checks? How is this fair to the legal residents of this country? I swear, sometimes I think it would be easier to be an illegal resident here than a citizen of this country. Think of everything we would be handed with no problem!

By Tarable on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 12:38 pm:

By what I have read they are just going to require having a checking account for a certain number of months without having any overdrafts. I totally agree I keep thinking of all of these things I have to give my SSN for and they do a credit check and these people can do get all of this without a problem.

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 02:54 pm:

What I wonder is how does anyone open a bank account in the U.S. without a SS #. The IRS requires a SS number for tax reporting purposes, and I have never been able to open a bank account without a SS # since I was about 16 - and that's a looooong time ago. If they produce a SS# to open a bank account, why does Bank America not require it for the credit card account? Which is what I am asking them by a letter I am sending to Bank America - along with copies to my senators and congressional representative. I have very mixed feelings about the whole immigration illegal/guestworker, etc. issues ... my son and I are in different places on this and have had lots of discussions. But what Bank America is doing, I think, is insulting to all of us who have to jump through their hoops and provide a SS#, employer name & phone number, income, and have a credit history in order to get a credit card. And I am concerned, as someone said above, that when they can't collect on an account it will become a loss for tax purposes.

By Tarable on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 04:30 pm:

I don't know how they are getting checking accounts without a SSN but by what I have read they are able to. I had to not only show my social security card but a valid ID to open a bank account a few years ago, and that was with Bank of America. I don't understand how they can open a checking account either, but obviously they are able to get a checking account.

By Breann on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 06:52 pm:

Unschoolmom, if we didn't have that illegal immigrant hanging out in our state, then that family would still have a mother. It was just the first thought that came to my mind after hearing that illegal immigrants may be able to get credit cards now. Just something that was fresh on my mind. If you don't agree with me posting it, then you can just skip my post

By Kate on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 08:46 pm:

Hey Ginny...would you care to write an open letter so we could all 'steal' it and send it with our name and addresses, too, to our state representatives and the credit company? I just know you'll write the perfect letter...

By Amecmom on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 09:01 pm:

you know ... I bet there are some who laud Bank of America as doing a "service". After all if you're on the run and have some stolen cash that you want to open an account with you can! No SSN required! They're not just "helping" the undocumented illegals, but all those who wish to hide something ... lol What will be next?
Ame

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 09:55 pm:

Kenneth D. Lewis
President, Chairman and CEO
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255

RE: Credit card offers to persons without Social Security numbers

Dear Mr. Lewis:

I am writing to express my extreme concern about your practice of offering credit cards to persons without Social Security numbers and without credit histories, but with U.S. bank accounts for a period of at least three months (as reported by FOX news). I would be curious to know, by the way, how such a person could open a bank account without a Social Security number. I know I cannot. If banks require a Social Security number for opening an account - and surely they must, for tax reporting purposes if for no other reason - why does the Bank of America not require a valid Social Security number from a credit card applicant, and a credit history? You know and I know that a very large proportion of persons to whom you are offering such credit card accounts are undocumented aliens, otherwise known as illegal immigrants. Whatever one may think of the issues of immigration and whether presently undocumented aliens should be allowed paths to citizenship, temporary worker status, or some other legal status, they are presently not legal residents of the United States.

You and I know that there is a much higher likelihood of default by persons who have no legal ties to the United States, and that if they leave the country, or simply move or change their names, you will have no means of recovering your money. And you and I know that when or if such persons default on their credit cards that you will write off the losses on your tax returns.

I intend to write to both of my senators and to my congressional representative about your practice, and why it should be stopped.
Most sincerely,




cc: Senator Robert Casey
Senator Arlen Specter
Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 10:02 pm:

If you decide to send a letter, please, please, alter my suggestions to fit your style. Mr. Lewis may never see any letters, but his staff will recognize "form" letters very quickly.

Here's where you get your congressional representive's name and address: representative
And here for your senators: Senators

By Kate on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 11:15 pm:

Thanks Ginny! I can alter it, yes, but I thought 'form letters' were acceptable....you always see form letters with the urge to sign it and send it...are they ineffective?

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:10 am:

They're not anywhere near as effective as a letter which does not look/read like a form letter. Feedback from political offices, for example, says that one snail-mail letter which is *not* a form letter counts more than several hundred form letters, because it means that the person thought about what they wanted to say instead of just copying a form or signing a form someone handed them in the mall. And snail-mail of any kind counts a whole lot more than e-mail.