By Chris Buchheit on June 30, 2010
.jpg.aspx?width=75&height=75) Very few things in this world are free. They started bottling water, and in order to get that pair of shoes from Payless, you actually have to buy another pair first. Lame. In fact, the only two I can think of that are free are oxygen and annual credit reports.
As I keep preaching, people need to take better care of their finances, and if they are using credit cards, their credit report needs to be monitored. Peoples’ credit scores will fluctuate based on how punctually they pay the credit bills. If consumers are looking for options in monitoring their credit scores, then this article should prove helpful.
After the passage of the 2003 Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, consumers are allowed to receive free quarterly credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. So beyond those companies, you will be getting scammed if you have to pay for your rightful report.
One of these scam companies is freecreditreport.com. Sure they have a catchy theme song, but if you have to pay a dime for your credit report, you are being robbed. The tricky part is that most of the time, other companies will pose as the legit ones, making you vulnerable to scam on the internet.
Thankfully, according to about.com, there are a few ways you can avoid getting scammed. First and foremost, when you use the internet to get your credit report, make sure you are typing in the correct URL address into your browser.
Secondly, as with all internet transactions, never give your credit card away, except to accredited online shopping sites, and sites that you recognize and trust. If you doubt your internet security, do not give the number away. On that note, if any site requires you to sign up for anything, you are getting scammed.
The only accredited website to receive your credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com, but as described, make sure you type in the name correctly. Other companies will misspell this URL to attract those who are not as careful as they could be.
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