Access Credit Reports Online Hassle Free and Scam Free
Implementing faithfully the provisions of Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA, the Federal Trade Commission or FTC has made it mandatory for the three major credit reporting bureaus to provide on request a free credit report to every citizen once in 12 months. Consumers also have the option to access credit reports online.
Online Sources
Besides the three major credit reporting agencies, consumer reporting companies functioning nationwide have uploaded the information on their website so that the consumers can access credit reports online. Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act or FACT makes it mandatory on the part of the reporting agencies to report the credit history or scores of the consumers accurately. In addition; the three national credit reporting bureaus, namely, Trans Union, Experian and Equifax have set u a central website where the consumers can order their free annual credit reports.
Dangers in Accessing Reports Online
When the concerned consumer access credit reports online he or she may feel very comfortable not having to move from pillars to post and getting all the required information sitting at the cool comforts of his or her own home. However, there is a pitfall in all this. Numerous imposter websites are there on the web that aims only at hacking important personal information of the consumer instead of helping him or her getting the reports in any manner.
Legal Provisions
Under the law of the land in United States, only a few websites are authorized to fill the orders from the consumers to access credit reports online. An example is the annualcreditreport.com. Other sides claiming to provide reports are not authorized under the law as they do not have the legal mandate to provide free reports. Such sites often take the viewers for ride and charge costs on their credit cards. Ploy adopted by such companies is to allow a free trial period of three days and then start charging the consumer if he fails to cancel the order. Others are imposters that aim at stealing the personal information of the consumer and involve in identity theft.
Nationwide Consumer Reporting Companies
It will be prudent for the consumer to access credit reports online using only the nationwide consumer reporting companies’ websites and these companies never ask for the personal information of the consumer. Sometimes unscrupulous traders on the web impersonate as one of such nationwide companies and send e-mail or phone alerts to the consumer asking for information. A consumer would do well to avoid responding to such email or phone calls. Such calls are probably scam.
Information for Access to Credit Report
It does not mean that the nationwide companies will not require any information for allowing consumer to access credit reports online. Some basic information like name, address, social security number, and the date of birth of the consumer are always necessary for the purpose.
However, such providers never ask for the credit card number, bank account number, and such other details. If anyone asks them when the consumer is trying to access credit reports online then he should realize that it is most probably a scam.
| 