The problem is that there are a lot of imposter sites that lure you in with a “free” annual credit report, but they take your credit card information which enrolls you into their credit monitoring service or another similar product. Some sites are outright frauds that aim to steal your personal information. To read more about fake sites, see www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/fakealrt.htm. The FTC filed suit against one imposter site and sent warning letters to many others.

These fake sites have nothing to do with the FACT Act, and you shouldn’t go through them to get your free annual credit report. But, many people get snagged into them because they are confusing these bogus for-profit entities for the actual entity that is authorized to provide the free reports under the FACT Act.

The only place to get your free annual credit report is called AnnualCreditReport.com. The URL is https://www.annualcreditreport.com It is the only service authorized by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to provide free annual credit report under the FACT Act. The site is secure, so the information you submit is safe.