Free Credit Report

Many people may still not be aware of an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that Congress passed last year. This amendment allows U.S. citizens to receive a copy of their credit report, for free, once per year. The plan is being rolled out slowly in order to avoid swamping the system, but people living in the West and Midwest can receive their credit reports now, and everyone will be able to obtain a free credit report by September of this year. Those seeking a copy of their credit report should watch out, however, as not everyone who promises a “free” credit report is actually delivering one.

These free credit reports may be obtained through the official Website: http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Additional information is available at the Federal Trade Commission Website at http://www.ftc.gov/credit. Obtaining a copy of your credit report through this site is easy, and only requires your name, Social Security number, date of birth, and address. That would seem fairly straightforward, but there are many companies, some legitimate and some not, that are interested in attracting the business of those who seek copies of their credit report, and scams are flourishing.

Some companies have established Websites with addresses that are very similar to the address of the official site. These sites promise a free credit report, but they are actually only interested in harvesting your personal information. In addition to stealing your name, Social Security number and address, these sites may also tell you that a credit card number is necessary to “verify” your identification. With this information, the people operating these sites can steal your identity! There are many other Websites that promise “free” credit reports, but few that actually provide them for free. One such site is currently under investigation for credit report fraud. The site promised a “free” report, but required a credit card for “identification” purposes. Customers filled out the form and received a copy of the credit report but also received a charge on their credit card for $79.

Other unscrupulous companies take a more direct approach by sending spam e-mail that promises to provide free credit reports. These spam messages are almost always “phishing” expeditions that are designed only to obtain your personal information. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of your credit report, you should avoid responding to e-mail solicitations.

It is a rare occasion when you can obtain something for nothing. You can, however, receive a copy of your credit report, for free, once a year. Be aware, however, that not everyone who is promising you a free credit report intends to provide you with one.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding structured settlements.

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In 2003, Congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions act (FACT), which made it possible for consumers to obtain a copy of their credit report for free. In fact, the legislation makes it possible for consumers to obtain one free report from each of the three main credit bureaus - Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax, per year. All that is necessary to do so is to write, call or log on to the Website the credit bureaus have created for this purpose. Millions of Americans have done so, and the program has been called a success so far. There’s just one problem - unscrupulous individuals have created Websites with similar names, and consumers who type the names wrong have ended up at sites designed to steal their Social Security numbers.

At last count, there were more than two hundred registered domain names with names that were similar to the official annualcreditreport.com or which contained the phrase “annual credit report.” Since it is quite easy to misspell a domain name, particularly a long one, many consumers have found themselves at sites other than the one they intended to visit. Most of these other Websites exist for the purpose of selling a credit report, rather than providing them for free, but others are designed to fool the consumer into providing personal information that the site owners may be able to exploit for personal gain. Other sites with similar names merely offer advertising or redirect visitors to porn sites.

What’s to be done? Not much, it would appear. Several of the sites that were created to fool consumers into providing personal information have been taken offline, but others will undoubtedly follow. Any sites that are established outside of the United States are immune to U.S. law, so it may be difficult for authorities to take any action. Consumers who are not overly familiar with the workings of the Internet would be better off contacting the credit bureaus directly by mail or phone. Anyone who uses the Internet to obtain a copy of their credit report should make sure that they are typing the name of the Website accurately. Failure to do so may lead to involuntarily providing vital personal information to people who shouldn’t have it.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to personal bankruptcy, debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity loans.

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