Since November 24th, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued multiple alerts in an effort to help keep consumers safe during the holiday shopping season. Those efforts include information on scams involving gift cards, puppy breeders and sudden business closures. This week, Nessel wraps up her campaign with a reminder to consumers about the importance of checking your credit report.
According to the Attorney General’s website, consumers can check their credit report for free, weekly, from three different credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It also reminds consumers that there is a difference between your credit report and your credit score.
A credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior and determines how likely you are to pay your bills on time, while a credit report contains information received from your creditors. Credit scores, therefore, determine your credit report. The higher the score, the more likely you are to obtain a loan or get a lower interest rate on that loan.
You can access links to all three free credit reporting agencies at the Michigan Attorney General’s website, as well as links to all of the aforementioned holiday scams. And if you feel you’ve been a victim of fraud, you can report it to the AG’s Consumer Protection Team.
