Free Annual Credit Report

[Khan]

Today I tried to access my free annual credit report from Equifax and I got this:

We're sorry, for your protection we are unable to deliver your FACT Act Equifax Free Annual Credit Report on the internet. There are a number of reasons that we may be unable to fulfill your request online. You may have a Security Freeze on your credit file, an Active Duty Military or Fraud Alert, or the identification information submitted online may not match the information on file.

To request your Free Equifax Credit Report by mail, please fill out the attached form (PDF file), along with the documents described below, and mail them to:

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

Please include with the attached form a copy of one item in EACH of the categories below in order to enable us to verify your identification and address. The item you submit from the "Identity" category MUST contain your Social Security Number and the item you submit from the "Address" category MUST contain your current home mailing address.

Identity
Social Security card
Pay stub with Social Security Number
W2 form

Address
Driver's license
Rental or lease agreement/house deed
Pay stub with address
Utility bill (gas, electric, water, cable, residential telephone bills)

To ensure that your request is processed without delay, please enlarge photocopies of any items that contain small print (i.e. driver’s license, W2 forms, etc). To avoid additional delays, keep in mind that if photocopies you submit are not legible or contain highlighting, we may ask that you resubmit your request with more legible documents.

NOTE: If you have a Security Freeze on your file, you must include your 10 digit PIN along with the information requested above.

Your personal information is used solely for identification purposes and is not shared with anyone.

Is this some some sort of crap to make it difficult to get a free credit report?

I have been at this address and phone number for 30 years.

 

[W2R]

Unless someone here can shed some light on this, I would NOT give them all that information. It sounds suspicious to me.

 

[Martha]

Call them up and ask what it was that flagged your report.

 

[Darryl]

Call them and ask for some details freeze? etc... I run mine about every four months on a rotating basis and have never had a problem getting the information. I did want to dispute my home as a business address (previous owner was a salesman and took a home office deduction) and I was successful at calling them and getting a live person who was very nice about explaining their position, just not successful at getting them to change the data.

 

[W2R]

Call them and ask for some details freeze? etc... I run mine about every four months on a rotating basis and have never had a problem getting the information. I did want to dispute my home as a business address (previous owner was a salesman and took a home office deduction) and I was successful at calling them and getting a live person who was very nice about explaining their position, just not successful at getting them to change the data.

Apparently neither you, me, nor Martha have had the same experience as Khan. I wonder if it could be a malicious attempt to obtain his personal information.

 

[DroopyDog]

I got the same message when I tried to get my credit report from Equifax, but I'm pretty sure it was because I mistyped some identifying information to prove I was me (my mortgage payment amount). I was able to access my other two credit reports online as usual.

The address looks legit, as Googling for how to obtain your credit report by mail brings up the same address.

I mailed in my info about 10 days ago, so we'll see if this a scam or not

Droopy

 

[Khan]

Call them and ask for some details freeze? etc... I run mine about every four months on a rotating basis and have never had a problem getting the information. I did want to dispute my home as a business address (previous owner was a salesman and took a home office deduction) and I was successful at calling them and getting a live person who was very nice about explaining their position, just not successful at getting them to change the data.

I have been running the 3 majors every 4 months with no problems for several years; then I get this crap. The only thing I've done to affect anything in the last year is buy a car. I think I'll also call my congress critter and ask what the ^&*( is going on.

 

[simple girl]

I got the same response a few months ago (after having gotten several free reports last year). Then I realized I had put a fraud alert on my account a few months back and had forgotten about it. Duh.

 

[Sue J]

Was this from going through www.annualcreditreport.com and then choosing Equifax?

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I like the secret questions they ask you. Obscure crap you are supposed to remember years ago. One little mess up and you need to walk on water to get your report.

 

[Khan]

Was this from going through www.annualcreditreport.com and then choosing Equifax?

Yes.
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I got the free report from Experian in January (they asked me to respond to a snail mail sent without requesting any additional info).

 

[Khan]

I like the secret questions they ask you. Obscure crap you are supposed to remember years ago. One little mess up and you need to walk on water to get your report.

Oh yeah.

That home improvement loan for the window replacements 12 years ago.

 

[maddythebeagle]

I love it when the challenge questions are all "none of the above"....I have had that happen for a few online savings accounts that I signed up for....I would probably just try getting a report for TU or Experian now since the odds are something really screwy would show up on all 3...

 

[youbet]

Inspired by the comments on this thread and the fact I'm up late finishing my taxes (ugh!), I went to www.annualcreditreport.com and pulled both my and DW's credit reports from Experian. No issues.

I also wanted to see our scores and had to pay $5.95 each for a report which included the scores. Is there a cheaper way to see your score?

 

[Walt34]

I get it from all three on a rotating basis, and do it by mail only. Makes the buggers pay someone to open an envelope and scan the paper, makes 'em pay postage to mail it back. The only error was they had DW married to someone else - "Dear, is there something you haven't told me?" - but that was corrected with a letter.

 

[Gsquared]

I've been checking mine on a rotating basis from the three agencies. The last two attempts (one for me and one for DW) I got this same thing from Equifax. TransUnion and Experian worked as usual.

 

[Caoineag]

Yeah Equifax has issues I think. They don't like my info so they go straight to that screen without asking questions. I just assume they have an outdated address for me. I will be paying for all three scores and reports in a couple of months so I will let it slide for now since the other 2 have absolutely nothing negative.

 

[Nancita]

I tried to check DH and my credit reports. Got the same message. What, exactly, IS the ten-digit PIN?

 

[W2R]

I tried to check DH and my credit reports. Got the same message. What, exactly, IS the ten-digit PIN?

Your phone number?

 

[OAG]

Go to this site for information Your Access to Free Credit Reports. It contains information of how to get your reports safely. Note that this is the Government site for the FTC.

 

[tryan]

Just did Equifax (used RWood's link ... Thanx!) and didn't have a problem. Bummer they charge $7.95 to see your fico score. Already knew mine .... didn't bother.

 

[grasshopper]

Wells Fargo offered free report and credit score to customers through Experian. So I tried it out. Sorry we can't ID you, please call. I didn't really need the report, but wanted to get the record straight. I call I spoke to a real person and was treated like a real person.

Well Mr G. I see you here may I ask a few questions that only you would know the answer to?

Mr G. Why sure.

Does the number 789 mean anything to you.

Mr G. No.

How about 5116 for an address?.

Mr G. says yes I lived at 5116 Cold Beverage Blvd.

Two more no brainers, and I was given a report number to use.
So I log in get my report, and glanced through the current and past addresses. Holy Moley, the guy gave me pass, because 789 was a PO Box we used in Greenacres, now Spokane Valley WA in 1994. I go through the rest of the list and they have corporate residential addresses from our 8 moves in 11 years with Megacorp. Now how the heck are you supposed to remember a 1 month stay from almost 20 years ago.

I have always written down the security questions, so I don't get crossed up. This just seems to block getting your free annual report harder and harder. Just a month ago I was denied credit, I was able to talk to someone. The questions they asked were, not anything I could answer a positive to. It was as if they thought I was someone else, well I flunked the quiz. If legislators wanted something to do this would be a great place to start.