Free Credit Report Scams: Beware
by paul wilson on Oct 12, 2009 with 0 Comments
The different ways free credit reports rip you off. How applying for a credit check puts you in jeopardy. They often wrongly bill you, and you run a high risk of identity theft.
Free credit check? These types of scams are increasing at a rapid pace. They are not all scams, but a large majority of them are up to tricks. These banner ads you see popping up all over should be avoided at all costs. Other than just billing issues, you are setting yourself up for identity theft. Once you send your social security number and your credit card info, they have everything they need to make a mess of your finances and your life. Even when they say free credit check, they get you by requiring a $1 “processing” fee. Once you give them that dollar, the door to your life is open for them to do as they wish.
Complaintsboard.com has several of these types of offers listed and and a long list of complaints that goes with them. Take a few moments to go read some of the different stories and complaints that people have filed. Here are some of the problems people encountered when they went for a free credit check offer.
- Free trial offer was not free, unable to cancel, billed for full amount
- Billed twice, unable to get reimbursed
- Billed for products never received
- Recurring unauthorized charges to card
- No refund received
- Keep receiving product after cancellation, cash deducted from card
Banks will not help resolve billing issues
A lot of these issues are the same type of tricks that this acai berry article describe. At any rate you are setting yourself up for trouble when you put your information out there. Another good site for scam information is scambusters.org. It makes a lot of sense to stay away from these online offers unless you research them first.
A very common ploy now is when you apply for a job online. After you fill out the application they will request a credit history report. Most times directing you to a specific site that they say their company uses. While the reality is that there is not even a real job available. Just some credit scammers posting a fake job ad to draw in credit information about you.
Please use caution when ordering anything at all online. Check with the sites above, and even the Better Business Bureau to protect yourself. There are a lot of horror stories out there, try not to have one of your own.
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Published in: Personal Finance
