How to Know If Credit Report Sites Are Safe

Protecting your credit, and your financial future, is more important now than ever. The recession, paired with record-high unemployment, means that identity theft is increasing in popularity. One way to keep an eye on your credit is to get your credit reports from the three main credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. However, with all the advertising and misinformation out there, it's hard to know which credit report sites are legitimate and which are only looking to take advantage of your situation. Luckily, it's not as hard as you think. Just follow a few simple steps and you'll know whether a credit report site is legitimate.

Instructions

1

Go to the official free credit report site. The best (and first) place you should look to get your credit report is at the official site where TransUnion, Experian and Equifax collaborated to give consumers access to their credit report. The U.S. government mandated that each consumer is entitled to one report free each year, even if they haven't been denied credit. The address to this site begins with https://, meaning it's on a secure server (that's what the "s" means). A site without that '"s" could be a fake site, so don't trust it.

2

Visit the main sites of each credit-reporting agency. Each of these sites gives consumers access to their credit reports from the respective agency. Note that you might have to pay for this service if you've already received your annual credit report and haven't been turned down for credit recently. Again, don't enter your personal information until you've ensured that the address begins with https://, this means it's secure.

3

Do your research. If you'd rather go for a pay site, then make sure it's legitimate. You've probably seen advertisements for certain companies offering credit reports. Sites like FreeCreditReport.com do give you access to your credit information, for a monthly fee. Again, make sure the site is on a secure server to protect your information. However, visiting a pay site should be your last option after using the free resources available to you.