Here's important information about the only Web site you should use if your want a free credit report with no strings attached.

Credit Report Imposters

Valerie Stuart gave up her lunch break to help us warn you about Internet imposters claiming to offer free credit reports. A yellow folder full of e-mails and copied letters documents her nightmare.

"I saw this online," said Valerie. "It said 'No risk. 5-day trial. View your credit reports."

The name of the company was "My Perfect Credit."

My Perfect Credit is a credit repair operation. The Web site touts no fees as long as you cancel within 5 days. Valerie signed up March 9.

"So I looked at it. There wasn't anything on it that I saw that needed to be cleaned up, so I sent them a cancellation notice," she said.

She says she canceled before her 5 days were up, but never heard anything back, until an Action Alert came by e-mail on July 21 saying her account was suspended.

"What account? I cancelled months ago!" Valerie said.

The same day, she got a phone call: "I'd been turned over to a collection agency without any warning whatsoever!" exclaimed Valeria. "Receiving no billings, no statements, for services that I hadn't asked for. So needless to say I got very upset."

How much were they trying to get?

"$186 and some odd cents!" Valerie said. On top of the $30 she ended up having to pay to cancel her "free" 5-day trial membership.

Numerous Complaints

Valeria is not alone. My Perfect Credit has the worst possible rating from the The Better Business Bureau: an 'F-' for numerous complaints of unauthorized charges, inability to cancel services, recurring monthly charges and unwanted services.

"Well I think it's a scam," said Valerie. She and other consumers report daily automated "collection" calls on their telephones, but no response to e-mails, calls or letters complaining about the unauthorized charges.

The Better Business Bureau also reports lack of response from My Perfect Credit and their associated companies.

Only One Website Approved by FTC

Like many consumers, Valerie had heard about the best Web site to get a free credit report, but she could not remember what it is.

So make a note - The only website you should go to for a truly free credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com.

Annualcreditreport.com is sponsored by the three credit bureaus and authorized by the Federal Trade Commission.

Hundreds of other Web sites claim to offer free credit reports and have similar names to confuse you, but consumers report deceptive practices that lure them into monthly charges for credit repair -- a practice historically known for bilking consumers out of thousands of dollars.

Again, if you want your free annual credit report as allowed by law, use only the annualcreditreport.com website. Anything else, and what happened to Valerie, can happen to you.

For More Information:

For More Information on the FTC regulation -- www.ftc.gov

Related Buyer Beware Reports:

June 15, 2005
July 1, 2005
June 7, 2005