Strange prepaid visa card received in the mail

[Brat]

I received a prepaid visa card with an initial value of $20 issued by Sutton Bank. I haven't activated it as this gift horse requires a through dental workup.

Has anyone else received such a card?

 

[cathy63]

Sutton Bank is a card issuer. Someone else would have purchased it from them and had them send it to you. It looks like they work with some rewards programs, so maybe you signed up for something that cashes out points at year-end?

Anyway, they're a legit bank and it's safe to activate a prepaid card from them. You don't have to give them your SSN or any other personal information to spend this money.

 

[racy]

...depends on what thorough dental workup means. I have an image of Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man in my head...

 

[Aerides]

Who is the sender? Was this a gift or just something that arrived anonymously?

Given the time of year it's probably a gift from someone.

 

[rk911]

Why not call the issuer and see if they can explain why the card was sent?

 

[GrayHare]

You're asking us "Is it safe?"

 

[Texas Proud]

With the 'dental workup' I am guessing that it is advertising from a dentist to get people to his shop... probably nothing on it unless you go...


Which means he will charge you $25 more so he can activate that card

 

[braumeister]

I believe the OP was actually just referring to the old proverb "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth".

 

[brett]

We do not even bother opening mail like that.

If our name is on the envelope it goes in the shredder without being opened.

If it is addressed to occupant it does not make it past the recycle bin in the garage.

 

[athena53]

With the 'dental workup' I am guessing that it is advertising from a dentist to get people to his shop... probably nothing on it unless you go...

Which means he will charge you $25 more so he can activate that card

And find a lot of work that needs to be done ASAP. See all the threads here on dentists. (With apologies to my oral surgeon and dentist, both of whom I love and trust.)

 

[mystang52]

Based on my experience a few years ago, I'd be wary, too. I no longer recall details, but a few years ago I got notice that my prepaid card had been successfully replenished................even though I didn't have a prepaid card.
Before the dust settled, that prepaid card became a regular credit card in my name, and 2 store credit cards were opened based on that credit card. I came out unscathed, but the ID thieves ultimately made a total of some $20,000 in fraudulent purchases.

 

[brett]

We cannot afford anything that is 'free'.

 

[Brat]

My "through dental workup" was referring to the saying "don't look a gift horse in the mouth".

This card came out of the blue. I googled the issuer and learned that there is a scam associated so I cut the card in small pieces.

 

[westpac]

my kinda dentist

...depends on what thorough dental workup means. I have an image of Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man in my head...

My dentist told me that visits to the dentist dropped by 20 percent...

 

[Aerides]

This card came out of the blue. I googled the issuer and learned that there is a scam associated so I cut the card in small pieces.

No other info? No senders address, no enclosed letter addressed to you with some mention of why it was sent?

Just a card in an envelope addressed to you?

 

[CaptTom]

I'm not clear on the problem here. Assuming no personally identifying information on the card, why not just try to spend it? I mean, if it goes through, great. If not, so what?

My wife once forgot the message on an Amazon card we sent to a relative. He didn't know who it came from, until she checked later to be sure he'd gotten it. These things happen.