Credit report and fraud on the Internet

In order to avoid Internet fraud, there are several things to consider when seeking a credit report online. Now that the Federal government has approved no-cost credit reports for everyone, hundreds of Websites have prepared to take advantage of us.

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One of the very few good things for the typical person to come out of Washington recently is the law allowing consumers to access their credit report for nothing. Congress has approved the 3 primary credit bureaus to create and manage a Website that will give people access to one free copy of their credit report, per credit bureau, per year, either on the Web or through the mail. The current administration has not been doing a lot to help consumers, and the bills enacted during the last five years have been overly hard on the poor and indebted segments of our society.

Although the free credit report Web site has worked well, and traffic to the Web site has been brisk, a few problems have appeared as a result of the creation of online access. People may visit a site that is nearly identical to the official one, presume that it's the official one and then begin to complete forms with their personal or financial information. Other Websites have been designed to fool consumers who may be looking for the officialt Website but do not know its actual name. Several hundred opportunistic types have created Web sites with similar names to the official Web site, which is called AnnualCreditReport.com. Unlucky visitors may discover that their personal information has been stolen by a criminal looking to use it for financial crimes. Fortunate people may get a copy of their document in the mail, only to realize that it isn't free, or that they have paid for some other "product", such as a monitoring service, in addition to obtaining the "no charge" version.
 

There are a few simple things you can do to keep away from becoming an online fraud victim:

• The real Website will not make advertisements using e-mail, popup windows or any other unconventional Internet advertising method. Don't respond to popups or electronic mail offers, as they might be an effort to acquire your financial or personal information.
• The authorized site can be visited directly, but if you're concerned, you might visit utilizing the link at the Internet site of the FTC. The FTC is the government bureau responsible for handling monetary fraud; you may click on the link to the official Website from there.
• The authorized Web site won't demand a card number; not even for "authorization" purposes. Remember that the official site won't request a charge card. Any Web site promoting a "no-cost" product that requests a charge card number is almost certainly going to charge you for a product or just make off with your account number.

Consumers who are concerned about using the Web may request a copy of their free document by mail: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Visitors need to be watchful that they don't get ripped off while looking for their information. If you have any inquiries about the official site, you may call them at 877-322-8228. The no-cost site is a great idea, and individuals ought to have free access to their own information.