In an endless attempt to bilk us of our money, credit card repair fraud scams continue to proliferate and push us to use their "services."

In commenting upon this Caroline Mayer of the Washington Post says, "The offers to repair a person' credit are tempting--so much so that 2 million Americans fall for them every year. And they shouldn't."

David R. Wolff, Vice President, Consumer Relations, TransUnion, has this to say about these people, "What many desperate credit seekers don't realize is that these organizations often cannot perform the services they advertise-and in some cases are conducting illegal activities."

Eileen Harrington, the Federal Trade Commission's deputy director of the agency's consumer-protection division agrees saying, "Credit repair promoters generally charge hundreds of dollars, but don't deliver on their claims. The fact is, they can't. No one can legally remove accurate and timely information from your credit report. ... There is absolutely no reason to pay for credit repair--ever."

How can you protect yourself?

Those who have fallen for these scams in the past have been in despair over their credit situation. To avoid these scams, consumers need to stay away from any company that does the following things:

Wants you to pay for credit repair services before providing any services. It is against the law.

Tells you not to contact a credit reporting company directly.

Advises you to dispute all of the information in your credit report.

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.

According to the FTC, it will take time and hard work to take care of your credit problems. Sometimes you may need a credit counselor help you to set up a repayment plan. Here is a place where you can find one.