Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives
Re: Credit Reporting Companies
From: Dan Johnson <djj4 () UWM EDU>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:43:29 -0600
Hi Kevin, I'm guessing that your presentation uses creditreport.com or freecreditreport.com as the web site where people can go to get their free credit reports online. I've seen numerous presentations that suggest one or the other. Both have a 'bait and switch' tactic that they never used in the past and both use a 'free for 30 days, but if you don't cancel.HAHA. we're charging you!' I guess everyone's out to make a buck. Here is another website that does offer the free credit reports that you may wish to use in your presentations: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp (Note: both previous sites, creditreport.com and freecreditreport.com list the above site for the free reports by law. I have not tried annualcreditreport.com personally, and YMMV) As to who to complain to. I guess I would just send Experian a nastygram and tell them how you WILL NOT be sending any business their way. Although, I have a feeling that this may be an exercise in futility. Hope that helps. Dan Johnson IS Comprehensive Services Senior University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2442 East Kenwood Boulevard Mellencamp Hall, Room B60G Milwaukee, WI 53211 (414)229-2911 "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget." Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (1973) "Personal Conduct" From: Mclaughlin, Kevin (mclaugkl) [mailto:mclaugkl () UCMAIL UC EDU] Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 11:30 AM To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU Subject: [SECURITY] Credit Reporting Companies Hi Everyone: As a standard part of our Identity Theft Awareness presentations and as a standard part of our breach notification letters we tell people how to go about receiving their free credit report(s) from Equifax, Experian, and Trans-Union. We walk them through the process outlined by the Federal Trade Commission materials and have them pull a report from one company first, then wait 4 months and pull one from the other, etc. Here's the Issue and Question: I have recently received two complaints from members of my community that when you contact Experian they are pushing their Credit Insurance program so hard that they are "fraudulently charging credit cards" (not my words - see the email I received below) for the service without making the consumer fully aware of what they are doing. Any suggestions as to who I should lodge a complaint with or as to an easy way to instruct folks on how to avoid this trap? When we notify them that their data may have been breached they are already a bit upset - to then have the Credit reporting agency (who is supposed to help them) take advantage of them further is causing a bit of pain on our side as my department is much more accessible on the phone than someone from Experian. -Kevin Recent Email Received: Dear Infosec department, Last year I attended a security awareness seminar offered by your department in ERC 427 - I believe it concentrated on identity theft. The speaker said that federal law allows everyone one free credit check per company per year and instructions were given stating how to do this, in particular a web address was given. I did this and saw my report. Then a few months later my wife and I noticed a disguised charge on our credit card statement. Instead of Experian we saw something like CC-01-12 or something like that. Upon investigating we discovered, to our horror, that Experian was charging us for something that we did not want and did not knowingly ask for. So it appears your presentation has inadvertently led to supporting fraud or at least unethical behavior by at least one and possibly other companies. I believe we will be reimbursed by the credit card company as a fraudulent claim but the fact that this is so routine staggers my mind (check the web for incredible numbers of similar complaints). I suggest you do not tell people that credit check companies give a free credit rating because that appears to be entirely misleading - it is more like the first month is free - but they do not tell you that in any plainly visible location. I realize there is a way to carefully step through the process to avoid the problem but I think most people will lose their balance and fall into the pit so it seems better not to mention it at all or provide an up-to-date website showing, step-by-step, exactly what buttons to press for each of the credit reporting agencies. Sincerely, Kevin L. McLaughlin CISM, CISSP, GIAC,PMP, ITIL Master Certified Director, Information Security University of Cincinnati 513-556-9177 (w) 513-703-3211 (m) 513-558-ISEC (department) UC-Logo-800 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message and its content is confidential, intended solely for the addressee, and may be legally privileged. Access to this message and its content by any individual or entity other than those identified in this message is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying or distribution of this e-mail may be unlawful. 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Current thread:
- Credit Reporting Companies Mclaughlin, Kevin (mclaugkl) (Jan 14)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Credit Reporting Companies Pace, Guy (Jan 14)
- Re: Credit Reporting Companies Custer, William L. Mr. (Jan 14)
- Re: Credit Reporting Companies Dan Johnson (Jan 14)
- Re: Credit Reporting Companies Fugett, Julie C (Jan 14)
- Re: Credit Reporting Companies Pace, Guy (Jan 14)
- Re: Credit Reporting Companies Custer, William L. Mr. (Jan 14)