• Table Of Contents

• Introduction
• Check Your Credit for Free
• Credit Report Checking Tips
• Protect Your Personal Information
• Resources

Introduction

Due to legislation passed by Congress, every American has the right to review their credit report once a year for free. Credit report checking is the first step to combating identity theft; oftentimes, the targets of identity theft only realize they have been victimized when statements they do not recognize appear on their credit report.

Check Your Credit for Free

To monitor your credit report, simply visit Annual Credit Report. Annual Credit Report is the official joint site of the three major credit bureaus, established in compliance with Congressional legislation.

After submitting your information at Annual Credit Report, you will be able to view a credit report from each of the three credit bureaus. If this is your first time reviewing your credit report, or if you suspect you have been the victim of identity theft, it’s best to monitor your credit report from two different bureaus, as sometimes there are discrepancies between the information reported by each bureau.

Credit Report Checking Tips

When monitoring your credit report, remember to review the following:
• Do all of the addresses listed accurately reflect where you have lived (or received mail) in the past two years? If they show a relative or friend’s house – that you did not authorize to receive mail – this could be a sign that your friend has been receiving mail in your name at his address. It is worth placing an initial fraud alert on your credit report while investigating further.
• Do you recognize all of the banks with which you have debts, including credit card debt, student loans, mortgages, or private loans?
• Are the debt amounts roughly accurate? Take care to review the credit cards you do not actively use. If these are carrying a large balance, it may indicate that you are the victim of credit fraud, but it does not necessarily mean you have had your identity stolen.

Protect Your Personal Information

When you check your credit report, avoid printing the report and simply discarding it in the garbage. Your identity theft report is as good as gold to a thief. If you print out the document, lock it in a safe or shred it.

Resources

Annual Credit Report
Federal Trade Commission: Fair Credit Reporting Act
Wikipedia: Fair Credit Reporting Act
About.com: Government Mandates Free Credit Reports for All Consumers