Websites Warned That Offer ‘Free’ Credit Reports Must Disclose Federally Mandated Free Reports or Face Prosecution
July 23rd, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.
The Federal Trade Commission is warning 18 Internet websites offering free credit reports that they must clearly disclose that a free report is available under federal law. The FTC’s recently amended Free Credit Reports Rule, which took effect April 2, 2010, requires certain disclosures to help consumers distinguish between ads for free credit reports that often require them to buy credit monitoring or other services, and the federally mandated no-strings-attached credit reports available at AnnualCreditReport.com or 877-322-8228. For example, websites offering free credit reports must have a disclosure, with links to AnnualCreditReport.com and FTC.gov , that appears across the top of each page that mentions free credit reports. Violators are subject to legal action that can result in penalties of up to $3,500 per violation. The Commission vote to publicly disclose the warning letters was 5-0. Warning letters are being sent to the following: Company Name / Websites National Credit Report.Com LLC NationalCreditReport.com Quinstreet, Inc. FreeCreditReport4U.com MyCreditCenter.Com, Inc. MyCreditCenter.com, 3CreditReport.com, OnlineFreeCreditReports.com Vertrue, Inc. My3BureauCreditReport.com, FreeScore.com, Free3BureauCreditReport.com, FreeTripleCreditScore.com, FreeOnlineReportNow.com ConsumerTrack, Inc. GoFreeCredit.com, FreeCredit-Reports.net, Free-Credit-Reports-Repair.com ConsumerDirect, Inc. FreeCredit-Report.net, SmartCredit.com Mighty Net, Inc. 3FreeCreditReportsUSA.com Amie Nguyen AllFreeCreditReports.com Amanda Raab FreeCreditReportsUSA.com Information in credit reports may affect whether consumers can get a loan or a job, so it is important for consumers to check their reports and correct any inaccurate information. Consumers can learn more about their right to a free credit report under federal law at http://www.ftc.gov/freereports .