Businesses Facilitating 'Identity Theft'

[godwulf]

I checked out myfico.com, and it's one of those companies that will provide you with your credit reports at a price; actually, my wife got hers the other day from freecreditreport.com, and I don't think it cost her anything - you just have to cancel the service you sign up with to get the free report within a month, or something like that.

Anyway, I did a google search on "credit reports" and "federal law" and came across a site called bankrate.com that looks very interesting and informative. They list the mailing address and fraud reporting phone number of each of the big three credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian (formerly TRW) and TransUnion. I know that it's a federal law that they have to give you a free copy of your report if you report a case of credit fraud to them, so I'm going to call each one of them today and find out what they need in order to do just that.

[godwulf]

I just called Equifax (1-800-525-6285), which happened to be first on the list, and got an automated phone system into which you plug your info, and they will (they say) add a "fraud alert" (they also called it a "security alert") to your credit information, and send you (within 7-10 days) a copy of your credit report; they will also contact the other two agencies, which will do the same.