While it's great to get your credit report for free, some people won't like what they find.
It's bad enough if you mess up your credit, but having someone else ruin it up is worse.
That's what happens when you're the victim of identity theft. And whether it's running up charge
account bills or committing street crimes, the thief leaves you with the job of explaining to the
authorities that you're not responsible. But getting your credit report for free can alert you to
problems and prevent further damage.
Because the problem of identity theft is a relatively new crime, you may not see the
importance of getting your credit report for free. But the crime is growing rapidly and this
year an estimated 500,000 people will have it happen to them. And while it may not be
possible to prevent it, it's possible to decrease your risk. And your first step is just a simple
awareness of how valuable your Social Security number, driver's license number, ATM number
and your credit card numbers are. The less often you give these out or put them in public
view, the safer you'll be.
Besides getting your credit report for free to check for problems, there are other actions
you can take:
- carry only the few IDs and credit cards need;
- sign credit cards in permanent ink when you get them;
- when using credit cards don't let them be removed from your sight;
- take credit card receipts and carbons and destroy the carbons;
- if you're required to show a credit card as an ID, don't let the number
be written down;
- don't give any of your personal numbers over the telephone
unless you initiated the call or you're sure of who you're talking to;
- shred all old documents that have your personal numbers on them before
you throw them out;
- shred unwanted pre-approved credit card offers;
- secure your mail with a locked mailbox or front door mail slot;
- when picking passwords and PIN numbers, use something that's unique;
- and check your credit report often so you'll be able to spot any problems
early.
If you should find some fraudulent activity when you get your credit report for free, the
Federal Trade Commission has a Hotline, 1-877-ID-THEFT(438-4338), to call. The FTC has found
that the average victim doesn't find out about the theft until a year after it happened. They
then spend an average of $1,173 and months of their time to clean up their credit report and
their lives.
To get your credit report for free and 30 days of credit monitoring for free, please go to
free instant credit reports.
