Watch out for fake credit report Websites

When hunting for a credit report online, make sure you type the site name correctly, or you could end up an identity theft victim. Anyone can now get a copy of their credit report for free from a special Web site.

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Although people can use the phone or mail to order free credit records, the most common method used by consumers is to access a Web site set up by the three credit reporting agencies expressly for that purpose. Not only can a credit report be obtained at no charge, but the law gives every Consumer the opportunity to get one report every year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) act, enacted last year, provides people the opportunity to acquire copies of their credit reports without cost. Tens of thousands of Americans have made use of the free credit report program, which is easy to use and takes only a few minutes. Visiting the wrong Internet site through error can lead to sites that charge for the documents, or even worse, Web sites that resemble the real site but are there only to acquire financial information for identity theft purposes. A lot of companies have registered Websites that are very similar to the official Website, and thousands of individuals have gone to these Websites by accident.
 

Recently, there were more than two hundred Web sites registered with names that were similar to the official site, annualcreditreport.com. Sites with names such as annualcreditreportonline.com are popular, as they represent the sort of thing that a consumer might type in by mistake. Many, if not most of these fake sites are there to sell reports to consumers who otherwise might get them at no charge. Since the businesses make it clear that they are offering reports for sale, they are not really committing fraud; they are merely taking advantage of a situation that occurs when people type incorrectly. A few scam Web sites ask for the Social Security number of the visitor and then do not provide a copy of the requested document. Web sites that are created to make off with Social Security numbers exist so that the criminals behind them can make use of the numbers to practice identity theft, all at the expense of the unsuspecting Web site visitor. A number of sites have been set up to closely resemble the actual Website, and are created to trick the visitor into believing that they are at the official Internet site.

If you are uncomfortable using the Web, it might be a smart idea to obtain a copy of your documentation via mail or phone. Failure to exercise precautions when going on the Internet may lead to a pretty expensive crime lesson. People who do not frequently make use of the Internet or who are not all that familiar with how domain names and URLs work should seek help from a knowledgeable relative or friend prior to typing in the name of the Site. The U.S. government and watchful Internet Service Providers are shutting down such Websites as quickly as they can, but these Websites are often established outside the U.S., which makes enforcement troublesome.