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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.
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.
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.
There are several options for getting your free credit score, including:
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
If you believe you’re the victim of a free credit score scam, there are a few actions you should take right away:
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.
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