Hello Everyone,
Evelyn Here,
Beliow is a Comsumer Alerts from Attorney General, Bill MCollum.
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Date: February 08, 2007
An Attorney General Consumer Alert!
McCollum Urges Caution When Ordering “Free” Credit Reports
Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued a consumer alert warning
Floridians that many of the "free" credit report offers available
online are often far from being free of charge. Because identity theft
is a significant problem threatening Florida, many citizens seek credit
reports to monitor their personal information. According to the Federal
Trade Commission, Florida ranked fifth in the nation in 2006 for
identity theft, with more than 17,000 victims.
"The majority of the time, identity theft occurs long before victims
are aware of the crime and often by then their finances, their credit
scores and their reputations are seriously impacted," said McCollum.
"With reports of data thefts on the rise, I encourage all Floridians
to regularly review their credit reports and bank and credit card
statements carefully to detect fraudulent charges or accounts."
Numerous websites offer "free" reports or credit scores that are tied
to offers of credit monitoring and/or other services. These offers often
require payment and the consumer is usually unaware that he or she is
paying for a service. Additionally, many websites offer trial memberships
that require consumers to cancel within 30 days or they will be charged a
monthly fee. Should consumers choose to enroll in a credit monitoring
service, the Attorney General recommends documenting telephone calls when
canceling subscriptions and follow up in writing when they choose to
cancel.
Consumers are able to request a free credit report once a year at
http://www.annualcreditreport.com. This site works in conjunction with
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, the three national credit reporting
companies, and is only official source for free annual reports. Reports
are also available by phone at 1-877-322-8228. Consumers have the option
of ordering just one report or one report from each company, although
authorities recommend spacing the reports out every four months.
Consumers with complaints about a credit reporting service may
call the Attorney General's Fraud Hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM
(1-866-966-7226). They may also visit the Attorney General's website at http://myfloridalegal.com, where information is available on obtaining
free credit reports and combating identity theft.
Thank you.
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Evelyn Out.
