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[Mtnchick]

I got no one line generators, BUT I already had a username. The fact that the stock photos are being used is even more interesting than the names and leads me to believe that P----r is offering up the pictures (which we've found several aren't stock/free photos). If I relist is it possible for me to change to one of the made up ones to see if they are randomly giving out (stolen) pictures?

[112233]

another random thought

1) underwriter does not approve borrower at a brick and mortar lending institution (look at the crisis in the financial market and the tightening of approval criteria)

2) they say hey, let's try prosper. if it funds, they split the profit with prosper or mark up the fees to the borrower.

result: we get to bid on the crap that wouldnt be approved otherwise and we dont have the advantage of reviewing the borrower's complete credit report.

again, just a thought. no proof. im just trying to understand why a listing would be automatically created

[Xenon481]

another random thought

1) underwriter does not approve borrower at a brick and mortar lending institution (look at the crisis in the financial market and the tightening of approval criteria)

2) they say hey, let's try prosper. if it funds, they split the profit with prosper or mark up the fees to the borrower.

result: we get to bid on the crap that wouldnt be approved otherwise and we dont have the advantage of reviewing the borrower's complete credit report.

again, just a thought. no proof. im just trying to understand why a listing would be automatically created

There was already a company that did this back in the early days.  Luckily, the loan I have from their group is still current.

http://www.prosper.com/groups/group_home.aspx?group_short_name=A1FL

[112233]

another random thought

1) underwriter does not approve borrower at a brick and mortar lending institution (look at the crisis in the financial market and the tightening of approval criteria)

2) they say hey, let's try prosper. if it funds, they split the profit with prosper or mark up the fees to the borrower.

result: we get to bid on the crap that wouldnt be approved otherwise and we dont have the advantage of reviewing the borrower's complete credit report.

again, just a thought. no proof. im just trying to understand why a listing would be automatically created

There was already a company that did this back in the early days.  Luckily, the loan I have from their group is still current.

http://www.prosper.com/groups/group_home.aspx?group_short_name=A1FL

did they have a relationship with prosper or use software created by prosper for such a purpose?

[Xenon481]

another random thought

1) underwriter does not approve borrower at a brick and mortar lending institution (look at the crisis in the financial market and the tightening of approval criteria)

2) they say hey, let's try prosper. if it funds, they split the profit with prosper or mark up the fees to the borrower.

result: we get to bid on the crap that wouldnt be approved otherwise and we dont have the advantage of reviewing the borrower's complete credit report.

again, just a thought. no proof. im just trying to understand why a listing would be automatically created

There was already a company that did this back in the early days.  Luckily, the loan I have from their group is still current.

http://www.prosper.com/groups/group_home.aspx?group_short_name=A1FL

did they have a relationship with prosper or use software created by prosper for such a purpose?

Other than charging GL-Fees, no.  I was specifically referencing the part about a loan maker sending their junk that even they wouldn't fund to Prosper.

[ira01]

+1.  This is un-freaking-believable (but unfortunately not for Prosper).  They have really taken their anti-PII crusade to a whole new level.  I wonder how long it will be until you have to use their made up screen name, rather than being able to choose your own?

My, how times have changed.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if Prosper assigned borrowers a username/number...

http://prosperreport.com/prosper/forums/archive/threads/2/4/7/24729.2.htm#post304715

I'm not picking on you, ira01, just commenting on how back then, it was viewed as an acceptable action (not desirable, but not horrible).  But so much else has been taken away in between, now it's just another link in a long chain, and it's an entirely different environment we're dealing with.

Interesting -- I had totally forgotten about that post.  As you note, however (and as is evident by the rest of my old post), that was in the context of still having the other information (such as GL's with the borrower's identity to vet listings on our behalf, borrower city information, etc.).

[ira01]

If prosper hasn't implemented a description generator, then I stand by my position that the above loans are all fraudulent.

hold on. this is fraud, period. the only question is whether it was committed by the borrower or prosper.

it would be fraud on prosper's part if lenders are reading listings they thought were created by the borrower, but in fact were assembled by prosper. this includes the use the use of photography that has nothing to do with the borrower. even if the borrower chose the photos from a list provided by prosper, it's still fraud IMHO because prosper is encouraging and participating in the deception of lenders.

+1.  If Prosper wanted to do this, it would need to make it clear to lenders that this is what is being done.  Not try to sneak it by.

[DakotahFury]

The longer these listings stay up, the more sinister this whole scenario feels.

[Nora_Lenderbee]

I wonder whether Prosper might be under some kind of legal pressure (from whom, I don't know) to do more to protect borrowers' personal infomation. Making a random username the default might satisfy some demand, even though it isn't a good idea for other reasons. Just speculating.

[Urbi_et_Orbi]

It's hard to believe that prosper would waste time and resources to implement an auto-created listing description and photo just to prevent lenders from finding PII. I dont think there are enough borrowers being "discovered" to justify this change (expensive and time consuming) from prosper's point of view.

To be perfectly frank, I don't find it very hard to believe at all

[Cushie]

It's hard to believe that prosper would waste time and resources to implement an auto-created listing description and photo just to prevent lenders from finding PII. I dont think there are enough borrowers being "discovered" to justify this change (expensive and time consuming) from prosper's point of view.

To be perfectly frank, I don't find it very hard to believe at all

+1.  Prosper seems to revel in fixing what isn't broke and ignoring the rest.

[Fred93]

Here's another
http://www.prosper.com/lend/listing.aspx?listingID=394775
$5000 again, AA, professional looking portrait photo, doesn't quite look like stock art tho, and the one line description this time is....

This loan will be used to…consolidate monthly bills and to improve my credit score.

AA's don't "consolidate monthly bills".  In fact you can't usefully "consolidate monthly bills" with a loan, 'cause monthly bills are monthly, and they keep comin' and comin' month after month.

[pioneer11]

Is this for real??? it's not April!

I just logged out and hit "Join Now" a few times.

The screen names it gave me:
payment-booster
market-saver
bazaar-hotshot576
debt-exchanger

I had wondered why on earth one borrower had selected funds-taker5 as a screen name, now I know Prosper suggested it to her!

I got "wampum-taker".  Outstanding!

[Cushie]

Is this for real??? it's not April!

I just logged out and hit "Join Now" a few times.

The screen names it gave me:
payment-booster
market-saver
bazaar-hotshot576
debt-exchanger

I had wondered why on earth one borrower had selected funds-taker5 as a screen name, now I know Prosper suggested it to her!

I got "wampum-taker".  Outstanding!

Seriously?  That's a fabulous name.

[112233]

Is this for real??? it's not April!

I just logged out and hit "Join Now" a few times.

The screen names it gave me:
payment-booster
market-saver
bazaar-hotshot576
debt-exchanger

I had wondered why on earth one borrower had selected funds-taker5 as a screen name, now I know Prosper suggested it to her!

I got "wampum-taker".  Outstanding!

if you become a new borrower, you will fit right in with that name