Start the new year knowing your credit is in good standing and your credit report is accurate. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers can receive a free copy of their credit report from each of the three nationwide reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — every 12 months.

“Pulling your credit report annually is a smart way for consumers to understand their financial health, as well as avoid financial and identity fraud,” said Kim States, BBB President.

Many television advertisements and websites claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores” or “free credit monitoring.” However, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona reminds consumers that AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized source for free annual credit reports under federal law.

Additionally, BBB reminds consumers that a credit report is different than a credit score. A credit report is a snapshot of your credit use history which gives a lender a view of whether you pay your debts back or not. Your credit score is a number which shows lenders how much of a risk you are in paying back a debt.

BBB offers these tips for pulling your annual credit report:

Do not access the Annual Credit Report Request Service through links from unfamiliar websites.  If you get an e-mail or see a pop-up ad claiming it’s from AnnualCreditReport.com or any of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. To help ensure the privacy and protection of your personal information, go to AnnualCreditReport.com directly to request your free annual credit report either by secure website, phone or email. AnnualCreditReport.com will not approach consumers via email, telemarketing or direct mail solicitations.

Consider pulling your reports quarterly. While you can pull all three credit reports at once, you can also consider pulling your credit reports quarterly. Pulling your reports separately allows you to better monitor your reports and keep track of any changes or new information that may appear on your credit report. If you pull all your reports at once, you won’t be eligible to pull your report for another 12 months.

Pull your child’s credit report. As child identity theft remains a national problem, it can be just as imperative to pull your child’s report as it is to pull your own. While the credit reporting agencies do not knowingly maintain credit files on minor children, you can contact the credit reporting agencies (more…)

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning of a  scam targeting cell phone users. “Smishing,” similar to “phishing,” uses text messages to bait consumers into divulging their personal information.

One form of the scam tricks consumers into believing their bank accounts have been frozen. The text message appears to come from the consumer’s bank and directs the victim to call a provided number to unfreeze the account. The number provided connects to the scammers, who ask for the victim’s personal information – account number, PIN and Social Security number.

The scam can take many forms, such as promising a free laptop, mortgage assistance or lottery winnings. Some texts might even offer a free product, such as a security app, to get you to click on a link which then downloads identity stealing software to your phone. Regardless of the tactic used, the overall objective is to steal your personal information.

According to online security firm Trusteer, cell phone users are three times more likely to fall for fake messages than computer users.

BBB offers these tips from AARP on how to protect your personal information from smishing texts:

• Do not reply. Replying to a spam text only verifies that your number is active, meaning more messages can be sent.
• Check with your bank directly. Separate from the text, look up your bank’s phone number and (more…)

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning of phones calls coming from (718)683-3104, claiming there’s a problem with the call recipients credit card, and that action must be taken to keep the account open.

Consumers who pick up the call hear an automated message that states that their credit card has been deactivated, then prompts the consumer to enter their credit card number, expatriation date, three-digit security code, social security number, and zip code.

Consumers who enter all the information are not only giving away their credit card information, they’re opening themselves up to identity theft as well.

The Sierra Vista Police Department told BBB they have heard from numerous consumers who received the call- all from the same telephone number- and that all the officers at the Sierra Vista station have received the call as well.

BBB Tips:

•  Be wary of text messages or phone calls that request personal information. If you do not know (more…)