McCollum: Make New Year’s  Resolution to Get Free Credit Report

2007 Was a Record Year for the Loss or Theft of Personal Data

TALLAHASSEE , FL - Attorney General Bill McCollum recently issued a consumer advisory encouraging Floridians to make a New Year’s resolution to get their free annual credit report at the only official source for free annual reports, http://www.annualcreditreport.com. The website works in conjunction with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, the three national credit reporting companies. Because identity theft is a significant problem threatening Florida , many citizens seek credit reports to monitor their personal information and ensure that they have not been unknowingly victimized by identity theft.

“Identity theft often wreaks significant havoc long before victims are aware of the crime. By the time they realize they have been victimized, their finances, their credit scores and their reputations are almost always seriously impacted, said Attorney General McCollum. "With reports of data thefts on the rise, I encourage all Floridians to regularly review their credit reports and bank and credit card statements carefully to detect fraudulent charges or accounts.”

Consumers have the option of ordering one comprehensive report or one report from each company, although authorities recommend spacing the reports out every four months. Reports are also available by phone at 1-877-322-8228.

Last year, the loss or theft of personal data such as credit-card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels. Major incidents in 2007 included a breach at TJX Companies, Inc. that compromised millions of personal records, lost data disks with bank account numbers in Britain, a hacker attack of a U.S.-based online broker's database and a scam that unveiled resume contact information from a U.S. online jobs site. Under a June agreement negotiated by Attorney General McCollum, TJX agreed to provide an additional notice to consumers who were affected by an earlier data breach. TJX is the parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, AJ Wright and HomeGoods stores.

The Attorney General also warned that many of the “free” credit report offers available online are often far from being free of charge. Numerous websites offer “free” reports or credit scores that are tied to offers of credit monitoring and/or other services. These offers often require payment and the consumer is usually unaware that he or she is paying for a service. Additionally, many websites offer trial memberships that require consumers to cancel within 30 days or they will be charged a monthly fee. Should consumers choose to enroll in a credit monitoring service, the Attorney General recommends documenting telephone calls when canceling subscriptions and follow up in writing when they choose to cancel.

Consumers with complaints about a credit reporting service may call the Attorney General's Fraud Hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). They may also visit the Attorney General's website at http://myfloridalegal.com, where information is available on obtaining free credit reports and combating identity theft.