Until now, you had to pay up to $9.50 to get a copy of your report from each of the "big three" credit reporting agencies (credit bureaus)--Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. The cost of getting all three is nearly $30. Congress recognized the benefits of consumers monitoring their credit reports, so it adopted a new rule that allows you a free copy of your credit report annually from each of the credit bureaus.

Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (known as the FACT Act or as FACTA), you are entitled to a free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus once every 12 months. The FACT Act adds sections to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to help consumers fight the growing crime of identity theft. Accuracy, privacy, limits on information sharing and new consumer rights to disclosure are included in the FACT Act.

The problem is that there are a lot of imposter sites that lure you in with a "free" credit report, but they take your credit card information which enrolls you into their credit monitoring service or other similar product. The cost for this subscription is typically around $79, and it's usually a hassle to cancel the subscription. Other sites are outright frauds that aim to steal your personal information. To read more about fake sites, see www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/fakealrt.htm. The FTC filed suit against one imposter site and sent warning letters to many others.

These fake sites have nothing to do with the FACT Act, and you shouldn't go through them to get your free annual credit reports. But, many people get snagged into them because they are confusing these bogus for-profit entities for the actual entity that is authorized to provide the free reports under the FACT Act. A World Privacy Forum report released in July 2005 exposed hundreds of imposter web sites. To read the full report and tips for ordering free reports, go to:

• www.worldprivacyforum.org/pdf/wpfcalldontclickpt2_7142005.pdf
• www.privacyrights.org/media/calldontclickupdate.htm

The ONLY place to get your free annual credit reports is called AnnualCreditReport.com. The URL is https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp. It is the ABSOLUTE ONLY service authorized by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to provide free annual credit reports under the FACT Act. The site is secure, so the information you submit is safe.

If you don't feel comfortable submitting your information on the Internet, call (877) 322-8228 to request the form by mail, or download the mail-in form at https://fact.econsumer.equifax.com/equicom/prod/images/uib/images/MailInDislcosureRequest.pdf.

Once you complete the mail-in form, print it. Then, fold (do not staple or tape) the form, place it into a #10 envelope, affix required postage and mail to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281