You already probably have heard that when The Fair Credit Reporting Act was passed you were entitled to a free credit report. You are entitled to this free access to your financial history once every 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my free credit report?

Most people get them from the FTC authorized website Annual Free Credit Report.com. This resource provides information to you from one of the three major financial bureaus-Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

What purpose does this free report serve?

It provides for you a summary of all your recent and past transactions and payment history. It also provides you with a credit score and helps you become aware of any identity theft problems.

Is there any way other than using the Internet that I can used to obtain my financial info?

You can request a copy of your financial history by mail. You are not likely to receive it instantly but you are probably going to receive it within 15 days. This often is done by people who simply do not feel safe using the Internet.

Can a third party access my financial information?

Usually only authorized, licensed lenders can obtain your financial history. However, this is only done with your consent as you sign a release form.

How does monitoring my credit prevent identity theft?

You will be alerted about any unauthorized transactions as soon as possible. This will be the first step in taking action that will help get your record cleared. It could save you from a world of trouble.

How can I better protect myself from future identity theft?

Shred all-important financial documents when no longer needed. Store all financial information in secure places where no one can find it. Furthermore, choose very carefully where you shop online and do not give your credit card or banking information to vendors you do not know.

For every legitimate work at home opportunity, there are probably at least dozens of scams. Fortunately, the FTC had reached a settlement regarding this on more than one occasion. One particularly striking case was the one that was resolved as of May 2009.

Home Medical Billing Scam

A fraudulent marketer convinced people that they could make in upwards of $500 per week processing medical bills. Training was promised to the victims of this very unscrupulous scam.

The result of this entire operation was a won lawsuit fought by the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of consumers. The advertisers of this supposed medical billing specialist opportunity ordered this company to pay back a total of $15,000 to consumers affected by this scam.

Defendants of Case

This particular FTC case was fought against Wilson Jose Caceres of Caceres Quality Distribution Inc. (CQD) and Chris Taylor of Medical Billers Network Inc. (MBN). They are barred from any other activity associated with attempts to promote any type of work at home opportunity-particularly that related to medical billing.

FTC Consumer Tips

If you are seeking opportunities to work at home as a person who processes medical bills, you should find out what you are getting yourself into. For instance, you may want to learn the following:

• Ask the promoter of the opportunities to provide you with references of other people involved in this program. This will help you verify whether or not it is a legitimate operation.
• The best way to ask for these references is to simply just request names of purchases-and ask them to give you as many as possible. Beware, of course, that these references could be “staged” or falsified.
• Find out what responsibilities are required of you while participating in this type of work. At the same time, find out what exactly is the amount of financial investment required to get started as a medical biller.
• Research on websites of major business and e-commerce bureaus to make sure the company has no unresolved complaints against them. If there is none, this does not always mean they are legitimate but it does increase they chance that they are.
• At the same time, keep in mind that even legitimate companies have complaints on occasion, but its how they are handled that matters-whether the complaints were resolved satisfactorily or not. Observe this as you learn more about work at home medical billing opportunities.

WARNING: Fraudulent advertisers and companies often change their names several times even if caught victimizing people. Beware, and be careful!