How to Stop Personal Loan Offers by Mail
An unexpected check in your mailbox may be a real loan offer, not free money. Do not deposit it until you understand the terms and know who sent it.
To stop most prescreened personal-loan offers, use OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688. If an identifiable lender sent an offer from another source, ask that lender to suppress postal marketing for your exact name and address. Securely destroy any unused check or document that contains financial information.
Know what a live check means
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that a live check is an unsolicited loan offer. Signing and depositing or cashing it accepts the loan and its repayment terms.
A legitimate live-check offer should disclose the annual percentage rate, fees, payment schedule, loan agreement, privacy notice, sender contact information, and a way to exclude your name from future offers. Read every term before taking any action.
Reject the offer without accepting the loan
- Do not sign, deposit, or cash the check. Depositing a real live check can create a loan you must repay.
- Record the sender if you want an opt-out. Keep only the details needed to identify the lender and the mailing source.
- Destroy the check securely. Shred the check and any page containing an account number, offer code, or personal financial information.
- Use an independently verified contact route. Find the lender's official website or customer-service number instead of relying on a suspicious mailer.
Stop future prescreened loan offers
Personal-loan offers based on information from your credit report use the same official opt-out as prescreened credit-card, mortgage, and insurance offers. Choose a five-year opt-out online or by phone. Permanent removal requires returning a signed election form.
Look for a prescreen opt-out notice on the piece. OptOutPrescreen does not stop a lender that obtained your name from another source or already has a business relationship with you. For those offers, contact the sender directly and ask to join its do-not-solicit list.
Separate a loan offer from a fake check
A fake check can appear in the mail and may look genuine. The Federal Trade Commission warns that money appearing in your account does not prove a check is valid. A bank may discover the fraud later and require you to repay the funds.
Do not deposit a check from an unknown sender that asks you to send part of the money back, buy gift cards, transfer cryptocurrency, or pay a fee. Preserve the mailer and report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Where Junk Mail Magic fits
For ordinary marketing from a verified lender, photograph the offer after covering or excluding account numbers, full Social Security numbers, and live checks. Junk Mail Magic can identify the sender and prepare a postal-marketing removal request.
Do not upload a live check or use Junk Mail Magic to dispute a loan, stop debt collection, or report fraud. Use the official routes above for those situations. For the broader rules, see the complete junk mail guide.
Have the mailer in front of you?
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