Credit Score Scams and How To Avoid Them

Do you want to know your credit score? Are you wary of so-called free credit reports sites that seem to ask for more information than they need? You should be! In this article, I’ll show you how to safely get free credit reports and avoid credit score scams.

In the current financial environment, many people want to know their credit score. Credit scores can be useful as they can help you plan your finances in a better manner – and they can help you gauge where you stand with various lending communities. Those who are aware of their credit scores can improve spending practices and get loans at favorable rates.

Knowing how risky you are in the books of a credit organization can save you a lot of money in the long run. However, given the large number of scammers on the Internet, it pays to stay on guard and not fall prey to any con that may steal your identity or your money. There have been a lot of cases where individuals fishing about for free credit scores have fallen victim to phishing scams and compromised their personal or credit card information instead.

So what can you do to steer clear of possible frauds while searching for your free credit scores? As long as you keep the following points in mind, your credit and personal information should remain safe from swindlers.

Don’t reveal your credit card information

Rule number one is quite simple – don’t provide your credit card information. There are a lot of websites these days that provide credit scores for free, without asking for credit card information. In case you come across any site that does ask for it, consider going elsewhere, as it may be a sign that the site plans to charge you, or enroll you in some other service.

Verify the domain name

If you receive any emails that claim to be from a specific company, double-check the URL in the “from” field, and in any embedded links, to make sure that they are in fact from the same company. Be wary of unsolicited emails, especially those that claim to be from government agencies or ask for personal information. Keep in mind that government offices usually communicate via mail and not text messages or email.

Avoid non-secure sites

If you come across a website that is unfamiliar, do not enter any kind of personal information, be it your Social Security Number, address or banking information. Further, all secure websites contain “https” or “shttp” in their URL – if you just see a simple “http” that means that any information you enter has the possibility of being stolen over the Internet. Also don’t think that calling the numbers mentioned on the site to verify its authenticity is foolproof, as the numbers provided and the answering services could be fake as well.

Skip links and attachments

Avoid using any unsolicited links or attachments as they may lead you to impostor sites. Rather than clicking on links, type or paste the URL of the site you want to visit in your browser. It may be a slower and more tedious way of accessing websites, but it is certainly much safer.

Password-protect your phone

In case you lose your phone, all your emails and accounts would be accessible to the stranger who finds it. To avoid such a scenario and safeguard your personal data, you should password-protect your phone.

Use the official free credit report website

AnnualCreditReport.com is the only site authorized by the Federal Trade Commission for free reports. The three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, are obliged by the government to provide consumers with access to their credit report once in every twelve months. If you want a sure thing, this is the one to use.

As long as you are mindful of the above rules, you’ll be able to safely gain free access to your credit score while keeping your information safe.