the companies failed to disclose that consumers who accessed their credit score through the sites would be included in their credit report monitoring program and will be billed monthly for her, according to the FTC. More than 200,000 people have complained about the costs for banks, credit card companies, the various enforcement agencies of the law and the Better Business Bureau.
The FTC said that these companies have made it difficult for customers to cancel once they discovered they were accused, and in some cases refused to reimburse those who said that they unconsciously registered.
How can I avoid this kind of fraud?
Unfortunately there will always be people or companies that try to trick you to get your money. To help you avoid falling into a misleading situation like that described above, we have compiled a few things you should look for when you are considering a credit report monitoring service.
Use a reputable website . Do you want to know what you sign up for, especially when providing your credit card or social security number. There are a number of legitimate services that will provide you a copy of your credit report when you sign up for a free trial of their service. It is important to note, however, that your credit card will be charged if you do not cancel before the end of the trial period.
If you plan to sign up for a credit report monitoring service, make sure to look for exactly what you sign up for. If the site is not clear as to whether or when you will be charged, avoid service. Instead, consider a reputable service that will give you all the original details. Remember that you can also check the legitimacy of a company with the Better Business Bureau.
It is important to note that you can get your credit report (without credit notes) of the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - for free once a year through AnnualCreditReport.com, the only site authorized by federal law to provide free. That said, it is also best to consider signing up for a credit report monitoring service due to check your report once a year will not do you any good (in terms of verification of the fraud) if some something is added to your reports after checking.
Make sure the site is secure . You provide your Social Security number after all, so make sure the site is protected. URL starts with "https" indicate a secure site. Most browsers also show a padlock icon in the address bar to indicate that the site is secure. If a site or URL does not meet these standards, do not enter your personal information.
An additional step you can take to ensure that your information remains safe online is to use an Internet security software. These programs alert you if a site seems suspicious phishing or even before you enter the site. Furthermore, most Internet security software suites also offer a separate secure browser window that you can use anytime you want to access a website with your personal information.
Visit our credit report monitoring reviews to see what service can better meet your needs or verify the identity theft protection against the blog to see other ways to protect yourself against potential scams.