Can You Get A Free Credit Report?
Key Points:
- Requesting a free credit report does pose a cybersecurity risk.
- Can my credit report get hacked and stolen?
- This agency says you can freeze your credit file for free.
- When you sign up at the website, you have free access to your reports.
- Get your free credit report from Veltec Networks, a credit reporting agency.
You’ve seen the ads online or on TV letting you know you can get a free credit report. All you have to do is call, sign up, or visit their website. Before you do that, take a step back and remember that your organization’s credit report has critical financial information listed.
Though lenders use it to determine if they’ll extend credit to your business, you also need to know if that information poses a cybersecurity risk. Surprisingly it can, and in today’s video, Duleep Pillai explains how to secure that sensitive material from being leaked.
Can My Credit Report Get Hacked And Stolen?
The short answer is yes! One of the largest and most popular consumer credit reporting agencies, Equifax, was hacked and suffered a massive data breach. As a result, 147,000,000 people had their personal information exposed and stolen.
That cyberattack ruined people’s lives as well as countless businesses. Costs incurred by victims were related to unauthorized charges to their accounts, fees paid to accountants and attorneys to help them recover from identity theft, notary fees, document shipping fees, etc.
How Can I Freeze My Credit File?
According to the federal agency Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), you can freeze your credit for free. Under federal law, “Security Freezes” or “Credit Freezes” restrict access to your credit file. That makes it extremely difficult for anyone to open new accounts in your name.
You must contact these nationwide credit reporting agencies to freeze your credit file.
- CSC Credit Services
- Credit Technologies
- Equifax
- Experian
- Global Payments
- Trans Union
To get a free freeze, guaranteed by federal law, you will need to opt for a freeze, not a lock. Credit locks are similar but are not free and not covered by the law, plus you’ll pay a monthly fee for that level of protection and restriction.
How Often Should I Check My Credit Report?
Once again, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the United States federal agency, recommends reviewing and inspecting your credit reports at least once a year. When you do that, you can receive free copies of those reports every 12 months.
To do that, you will need to sign up at annualcreditreport.com to access that information. Under federal law, that is the only authorized online source to get free credit reports. Those reports come from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
With those reports, you can quickly and easily monitor changes in your credit reporting. Do note some websites will promise free credit reports, but read the fine print first. Often, they offer you to sign up for a free trial, but you must pay to keep the account open when the trial ends.
Get Your Free Credit Report From Veltec Networks
An intelligent way to get your free credit report is to contact us. Veltec Networks is a credit reporting agency that offers this service to businesses. To get yours, you’ll provide us with basic information regarding your company, such as its name, address, and contact information.
Once we receive that information from you, we will quickly generate your credit report. That documentation will include your business’s credit history, payment history, and current credit score. Contact us today or call Toll Free at (855) 5-VELTEC to get your free credit report.
