Beware: About Credit Rating Fraud
Beware of credit rating fraud. One of the sneakiest ways that identity thieves could get you is setting up a phony ‘free credit check’ website. They might offer you a free trial but your credit card may be required.
This is all legitimate so far. However, maybe you would try to cancel or you notice that additional charges are being made on top of the ones you already made.
Be very careful that you do not taken aback by fraudulent individuals or imposter companies that take people for a ride. They take your personal information and they do whatever they can to take as much as they can from you.
They will do one or more of the following:
- Use your credit card number to make purchases and charges you did not authorize.
- They may take money out of your bank account if you supplied them with that info.
- Perhaps they will establish utility service in your name.
- If identity thieves get enough of your information they could even apply for jobs or apartments in your name.
- It might be possible for them to apply for a bank loan or get a cell phone using your information.
Just think of whatever transaction you make with your credit card, debit card, or bank account. If a thief gets a hold of any of this information it might be enough for them to gain additional knowledge about you and even make alterations such as an address change on your credit report.
All this can start from just giving the wrong website your information. After all, usually when you fill in a website form they ask at least for your first and last name, address, as well as vital financial information.
This is more than enough information for a thief to find you and track you down and take whatever they can from you. That is why you need to be very careful.
Take the following online credit rating and inquiry tips into serious consideration:
- Make sure you use trustworthy portals to obtain your credit report.
- Remember that you should not have to pay to receive a credit report. You are entitled to one free one a year according to U.S. federal laws.
- Avoid giving out your credit card or bank account information unless it is a secure website.
- Be very reluctant to use paid credit monitoring services. Some of them provide services that are useful while many are making you pay for services you could get for free.