How to avoid free credit score scams

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice. See Lexington Law’s editorial disclosure for more information.

Everyone can receive a free credit report every year from each of the three credit bureaus. Likewise, many people are eligible for free credit score monitoring, a service that is frequently offered by credit card providers and banks. 

That said, many scams target people trying to access a free credit report or credit score. These scams typically try to steal personal or financial information, which may ultimately lead to identity theft. 

Fortunately, you can avoid free credit score scams with a few simple tips, like using reputable sources for credit information and learning how to identify phishing scams. 

Read on to learn four ways to avoid scams as well as what to do if you’re the victim of a credit score scam. 

1. Only use reputable sources for free credit scores and reports

If you want to know how to check your credit score for free while avoiding potential scams, the most important rule to follow is this: Only give your personal information to reputable, known and trusted websites.

Everyone is entitled to a free credit report every year from each of the three credit bureaus—TransUnion^®, Experian^® and Equifax^®—who are responsible for keeping track of your credit file. While the credit bureaus also have paid services for credit monitoring, you do not have to pay anything to access your credit report once each year. 

How to access your free credit report

To access your free credit report, you’ll want to visit AnnualCreditReport.com, the only website authorized by federal law to provide this information to you at no cost. 

That said, your credit report won’t generally include a credit score, but there are safe and reputable places to get that information as well. 

How to access your free credit score

There are several options for getting your free credit score, including:

• Your credit card company: Many credit card companies, including Chase and American Express, will provide your credit score. Often you can find your credit score on your monthly statement or by logging in to the website or app. 
• Your bank or credit union: A number of banks and credit unions enable you to regularly check your credit score. Some banks that offer this service include Wells Fargo and Bank of America. 
• A trusted online service: Several reputable services, like Credit.com, Mint and Credit Karma, provide you with a regularly updated credit score. Discover also offers credit scores for free, no Discover card required.

Now that you know some safe ways to access your credit report and credit score, let’s look at the best approaches to avoiding scams. 

2. Don’t click on email links from unknown senders

If you receive an email offering free information about your credit score or credit report, avoid clicking on any links in the email. Scammers use a technique called “phishing” to lure you into providing your personal information, which may then be used to steal your identity.

Phishing works by sending unsuspecting people an email that appears legitimate, but once they click a link, they are instead taken to a malicious website that the scammers will use to steal personal or financial information. 

Here are a few tips to avoid email scams:

• Type out website names instead of clicking on links: Some scammers will send you to websites with names that look very similar to trusted institutions, often by changing a single letter. To make sure you go to the right website, type the name in yourself.
• Watch out for “spoofed” senders: Scammers can make it appear that their emails are sent from legitimate sources, so you’ll need to be extra careful to verify the authenticity of emails you receive.
• Be wary of misspellings or grammatical errors: Many scam emails contain misspellings or grammar errors, whereas trusted emails have often been proofread to avoid these errors. Be skeptical when reading an email with a number of mistakes.

Your email inbox is familiar territory for scammers, so make sure you are extremely careful about clicking links or providing personal information after receiving an email. 

3. Don’t provide payment information

Many free credit score scams will ask that you provide payment information for a free trial, but in fact the scammer is simply stealing your information to sell or use for fraudulent purchases. 

Remember: Accessing your credit report is free, and many financial institutions also provide free credit score updates. 

There are legitimate financial services that involve payment for credit monitoring. For instance, Lexington Law Firm provides information about your FICO^® credit score and credit monitoring help when you sign up for a paid credit repair service. Also, each of the three credit bureaus offers a premium, paid credit monitoring service.

However, premium services are always advertised as such, and free services will never ask for payment. Before providing your payment information, make sure you know what you’re signing up for. 

4. Ignore robocallers and other unknown callers

Whenever you receive a call from an unknown person, especially a robocaller that simply reads a prerecorded message, a good course of action is to simply ignore it. 

Many scam callers impersonate representatives of financial institutions. In the call, they may tell you that there’s a problem with your credit card or credit report that they can fix. Eventually, they’ll ask for personal or financial information, which they will in turn use for fraud or identity theft. 

The Federal Communications Commission shared some estimates that stated that in 2018 there were around 4 billion spam calls per month in the United States, so it’s likely you’ve already received one this year. These calls are made en masse, and they involve a prerecorded message that usually asks the recipient to take some sort of action. Ultimately, most of these calls are aimed at stealing your personal information, so ignoring them is a good way to avoid falling into the trap. 

Here are a few important tips when dealing with spam calls or robocallers:

• Don’t trust what they say: Robocallers will often try to scare you by mentioning that you’re being sued or audited, but this is simply a tactic to try to keep you on the phone. 
• No number is totally safe: Scammers can make a call from any phone number, and they’ll often use a number that looks similar to yours so that you’ll trust them. 
• Engaging only makes things worse: Some robocallers tell you to press a number to be taken off their list, but generally this just confirms that you have a working number, which may lead to even more robocalls. 

Many robocallers now claim to be offering free services, rewards or prizes, but these claims are illegitimate. If you’re wondering whether an offer is real, you can get confirmation by calling the customer service number for the company the caller is claiming to represent. 

Now that you’re prepared to avoid scams, you’ll be able to find safe, free and accurate information about your credit report and credit score. With those in hand, you’re ready to make some decisions for your financial life. 

What to do if you’re the victim of a free credit score scam

If you believe you’re the victim of a free credit score scam, there are a few actions you should take right away:

• Start a credit freeze or fraud alert: Reach out to all three credit bureaus and ask them to freeze your credit so that no one can open a line of credit in your name.
• Take steps to prevent identity theft: File a report with the Federal Trade Commission and the police with details about the scam to try to protect your identity from being stolen. 
• Contact your bank and credit card providers: You’ll want to change your bank account information or credit card numbers if you believe the scammer may have access to this information. 

Additionally, you’ll want to check your credit report for any incorrect information that may have resulted from the scammer’s use of your personal information. 

If your credit report contains negative items that you believe to be inaccurate, you’ll want to start a dispute with the credit bureau, which may lead to the item being removed and your credit score potentially increasing. The credit repair consultants at Lexington Law Firm are experienced with the credit repair process, and they can answer your questions about your credit. 

Note: Articles have only been reviewed by the indicated attorney, not written by them. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.