Consumer Fraud Reporting
FreeCreditReports.com Scam
Reporting on the Latest Frauds, Scams, Fake Lotteries, Spams and Hoaxes

Home Email this page GovernmentAgencies Recognize a scam Report a Scam If you are scammed Your wallet is stolen? Prevent scams Free Publications Recommended Feedback to CFR Glossary Search Credit Card Rights Bookmark and Share
 

Up

Recommended:
books


Recommended
AV product:

FreeCreditReport.com Scam

FreeCreditReport.com is NOT the website to get your free annual credit report!


"I'm thinking of a number..." Sure, the number of people who have been fleeced! FreeCreditReport.com has been advertising heavily on television, saying that you can get a FREE credit report at their website.  The young smiling guy says

"I'm thinking of a number between 450 and 850.  Do you know what it is?"... "You can find out right now at FreeCreditreport.com!"

WARNING: FREE CREDIT REPORT.COM IS A SCAM! The name of the website and their advertising is misleading and clearly attempting to imply that you can obtain free, obligation-free credit reports from them. The State of Florida Office of the Attorney General is investigating FreeCreditReport.com.
 

FreeCreditReport.com is not the website that offers the free credit reports in provided by the US federal directive.

Only at the very end of the commercial do they quickly mention that you need to sign up for a package. ("Free credit report comes with enrollment to TripleAdvantage", with no further explanation - note: subsequent versions of the commercial indicate it is a subscription). The website contains the following fine print:

When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don’t cancel your membership within the 30-day trial period, you will be billed $12.95 for each month that you continue your membership. If you are not satisfied, you can cancel at any time to discontinue the membership and stop the monthly billing; however, you will not be eligible for a pro-rated refund of your current month’s paid membership fee.

FreeCreditReport.com has also been investigated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and forced to pay fines.

The only way to get your free annual credit report is by going through the FTC-mandated website: AnnualCreditReport.com.  The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, set up this website, where you can request a free credit report under U.S. federal law. This is due to a recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requiring each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. Many other websites claim to offer "free" credit reports, but may charge you for another product if you accept a "free" report. Don't be fooled!

To request your free credit report at the approved website, click here, then on the page that comes up, select your state and click the red "request report button.


Copyright CFR 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009  - Definition of scam, fraud, etc.Legal disclaimer / corrections / complaints  -  Privacy Policy
Names used by scammers in the examples on this page and others often belong to real people and businesses who often have no knowledge of nor connection to the scammer's use of their name and information.  Sample scam emails and other documents are copies of the scam to help potential victims recognize and avoid it.  You should presume that any names used and presented here in a scam are either fictitious or used without their legitimate owner's permission.
Email us at: