Democracy Dies in Darkness
Your Data and Privacy

Never Google ‘free credit report.’ Do this instead.

Bookmark the government-authorized website AnnualCreditReport.com. And don’t trust searches for anything credit-related.

Analysis by
Help Desk Strategy Editor
April 21, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. EDT
An illustration of a shady figure walking out of a Google browser
(Illustration by Erik Carter for The Washington Post)
8 min

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I Googled “free credit report.” It led me into a financial nightmare. Don’t make the same mistake.

The U.S. government requires each of the three major credit rating companies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — to give you a free copy of your credit report at least once a year. In a change made due to the pandemic, you are entitled to free weekly online credit reports until the end of 2023.