FreeCreditReport.com spoofed by FTC

FTC fights FreeCreditReport.com with spoof ad

Excerpt:

The Federal Trade Commission ... released two videos that spoof the popular FreeCreditReport.com commercials and their trademark catchy tunes.

The government's ads never mention FreeCreditReport.com by name, but the target is clear.

"Beware of others, there's always a catch," the singer croons in one ad that's a dead-ringer for the FreeCreditReport spot set in a restaurant. "They claim to be free but strings are attached."

FreeCreditReport.com is owned by credit bureau Experian, which has been engaged in a decades-long battle with the Federal Trade Commission over alleged misbehavior. Most recently, in 2005, the FTC settled charges with the firm that it intentionally misled customers with its FreeCreditReport.com Web site. The FTC said in its lawsuit that the company was confusing consumers who were looking for their congressionally mandated free annual peek at their credit reports. Experian agreed to refund customers, but admitted no wrongdoing.

Comment: The real free credit report site is www.annualcreditreport.com. The other one, although it has "free" in its name is not! Check your credit report annually!