FRAUD ALERT: Watch Out for Unauthorized Charges for Credit Reports
Check your credit and/or debit card statements closely this month. Consumers nationwide are finding charges for $19.95 or more for credit reports they never ordered.
The charges appear to be from Experian, Consumerinfo.com or Creditreport.com. Creditreport.com is part of a family of credit reporting sites belonging to Consumerinfo.com, Inc. an Experian company.
What should I know about the scam?
Falsely charged consumers contacted Experian at the phone number listed on their debit/credit card statement and learned that their card number was used to purchase a credit report for another person. The false charges likely stemmed from a security breach.
What should I do if I spot a charge on my statement?
- For charges from Experian, Consumerinfo.com or Creditreport.com, you should call the number listed next to the merchant’s name on your credit or debit card statements.
The representative will ask for your name and debit or credit card number. If your name and the name on the purchased credit report are not the same, a refund will be issued within 7-14 days. The representative may also ask for your social security number for further verification.
- Immediately contact your debit or credit card issuer to report the misuse and request a new card.
- Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through their ID Theft Clearinghouse at www.ftc.gov/idtheft. This will allow the FTC to identify patterns associated with the unauthorized transactions and investigate the source of the data breach.
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