SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The holiday season is prime time for scammers to try to steal your identity and Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessell is reminding all residents that they can get free credit report checks every week.
The free weekly credit report program was started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which put many people's finances in dire straits. But it became permanent in 2023 with Nessell offering the weekly check-ins at the three main credit reporting agencies for all residents in the state of Michigan.
Michigan residents can check their reports on Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion all on one site, annualcreditreport.com.
"While the Holidays are known as the ‘Season of Giving,’ that doesn’t stop bad actors from attempting to steal your identity," said Nessel. "I encourage every Michigan resident to take advantage of the free weekly credit report program. Staying alert is the best way to protect yourself so that you can take action quickly when fraud is suspected."
The credit report is NOT a credit score. Those are two different things.
A credit report contains information that is received from your creditors while a score is a prediction of your credit behavior and is determined by your credit report.
The score is based on the number of accounts, total debts, and payment history. Lenders then use the score to evaluate a person's creditworthiness.
To request your free credit reports, access annualcreditreport.com and fill out the required information. It does require your social security number. Then select the three credit agencies. You then have to confirm your identity based on things like your previous or current employer, the car you drive, and more.
The report lists your addresses, hard inquiries into your credit and soft inquiries, public records including legal matters that are associated with you, and more.
If you are wondering if you can trust the site, annualcreditreport.com is the only official site for free credit reports authorized by federal law.
The timing of this reminder is important as it comes right after Corewell Health announced a second data breach affecting a million patients.
"Health information is some of the most personal information we have," said Nessel. "Michigan residents have been subjected to a surge of healthcare-related data breaches and deserve robust protection. It is critical that the Michigan legislature join the many other states that require companies who experience a data breach to immediately inform the Department of Attorney General."
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