Have you heard the news reports over the week-end about "piggybacking" which allows a mortgage applicant to be added as an authorized user on a credit card account of someone with stellar credit?

Apparently people with low credit scores can increase their score by paying about $1,000 to a company to have them added as an authorized user to someone's account and this tricks the computer program into believing the credit renter has a good repayment history.

A cardholder who allows the piggybacking on his credit history receives $100 to $150 per person added to his credit card (the balance goes to the company that arranges for the rental).

Yes, I heard about that too. I actually got an email from the ICBA that said the Fair Issac Corp is changing the FICO scoring system later this year to end the practice (the email didn't say how they were changing it)

Here is the article from the Associated Press that explains it more