“The effects could have been devastating,” said a spokesperson for the Federal Reserve Board.

The plot was discovered quite accidentally when an FBI agent, who preferred not to be identified, called a customer service number to dispute a credit card charge.

“I got this ‘0% on balance transfers and purchases until May 2005’ offer in the mail. It seemed like a good deal, but then there was a problem on the bill,” the agent said. “It was supposed to be 0%, then suddenly they were charging me 29.9%.”

The FBI agent said that because he was upset during the call, he “possibly went overboard” in his objections. His objections turned to suspicion when the customer service representative blurted out something about “infidels infecting true believers in the Holy Land with their putrid capitalist bile.”

“It wasn’t something you’d expect to hear when you’re calling Cincinnati,” said the agent. “Especially when the bile being spewed by credit card companies is nothing more than a collection of fetid Satanic cow pies placed in the paths of Free World martyrs to sink their feet into and stain the illustrious carpet of Liberty. Know what I mean?”

Asked what tipped him off to the scam, the agent replied “It was something in the tone of his voice.”

But what the agent discovered next made his sent a shiver up his spine.

When he mentioned the incident to an FBI co-worker, they told him that this was the same credit card plan their son, a soldier stationed in Iraq, had just signed up for. The co-worker also said that her son mentioned that this was quite a popular credit card being offered to soldiers there. But offered by whom?

Research revealed that a newly discovered terrorist cell was operating worldwide, this cell solely devoting itself to slowly eating away at the financial backbone of the US. The target: US servicemen overseas. The method: Issue credit cards to lonely, habitual consumers, then sit back and watch them destry themselves.

"It's brilliant, actually," says CPA Shitheyad Baxter, a Washington, DC CPA. "What happens is that people begin relying on credit to bail them out of bad financial situations, soldiers included.”

“People struggle with the high cost of living... in America. Artificially inflated property values, the $700 car payments on the SUV. Then they begin tapping into the equity on their homes … if they own one... to pay off the credit cards... and so they can buy a Winnebago. It’s like being addicted to crack. People end up using their credit cards to make ends meet. The only solution is more credit cards”

Another ploy of credit card terrorists is to wait until unsuspecting customers run up their credit cards close to the maximum limits. At that point, the enemy quickly jacks-up the interest rate to 27.9 or 29.9%, accelerating the damage and making it impossible for the customer to pay it off.

“The credit card company bumps up the rate and then justifies it by implying that you’re irresponsible. Next thing you know, you’re bankrupt.” says Baxter.

“They capitalize on our weaknesses," says Baxter. "Theoretically, the phenomenon can throw the entire country into default.”

“They’ve even got the U.S. government doing it. For all intents and purposes, we’re fighting the war in Iraq on credit cards when you think of it.” Baxter noted.

Unsuccessful attempts have been made to contact Terrorist Credit Card customer service, and numerous calls have been unreturned. FBI agents are especially frustrated when they get recordings instructing them to “call back during normal business hours.”

In attempt at controlling the damage, American troops in Iraq have been instructed to pay cash when possible.