After an expensive holiday season , you might be looking for help to repair your credit. But are you looking in the right places?

More than 4-million Americans each year fall for credit repair scams.

Stacy Johnson: I've noticed, at least with the consumers we help, sometimes these places aren't there after awhile. They might disappear, change names, that kind of thing.

That's how credit repair scam artists often evade prosecution after taking millions of dollars from desperately debt-riddled consumers.

Here's what I did, I called every ad in the yellow pages that promised credit repair and I got the same response. Too bad those negative marks on your credit history don't disappear this fast.

How do you spot a scam? Look for red flags like the promise of a new credit file. That's not realistic and could be illegal.

Obtain the social security number of somebody that is deceased. They might very well steal somebody else's identity and start a credit history that way."

Next red flag? Upfront fees. The law prohibits charging fees before services are rendered. Another red flag is promising that fixing bad credit is fast and easy. Permanent, legal fixes to your credit history are never either.

Bottom line? There's nothing wrong with trying to improve a poor credit history. But remember, there's nothing anyone can do for you for money that you cannot do yourself for free.

You can clean up your credit history on your own, without paying someone legally or illegally to do it.