PITTSBURGH -- A consumer alert concerning the “free" in free credit reports has been issued. The Federal Trade Commission has sent a warning to 18 websites.

Getting a credit report is a good idea whether you're looking to make a purchase or protecting your identity, but the FTC said you need to be careful about sites claiming to offer free reports.

The FTC said many companies just want to lock you into a longer commitment. Most people have seen the commercials before or read the ads online promising free credit reports, but the FTC is warning that some sites don't clearly tell consumers that they have to sign up for a credit monitoring or other services after getting the free report.

The warning is in response to a new rule that took effect in April, but there are ways to get a free credit report with no strings attached.

To do that, go to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 877-322-8228. There, you can get a free report once a year.

The following is the list of 18 sites that have been warned:

• NationalCreditReport.com
• FreeCreditReport4U.com
• MyCreditCenter.com
• 3CreditReport.com
• OnlineFreeCreditReports.com
• My3BureauCreditReport.com
• FreeScore.com
• Free3BureauCreditReport.com
• FreeTripleCreditScore.com
• FreeOnlineReportNow.com
• GoFreeCredit.com
• FreeCredit-Reports.net, • Free-Credit-Reports-Repair.com
• FreeCredit-Report.net
• SmartCredit.com
• 3FreeCreditReportsUSA.com
• AllFreeCreditReports.com
• FreeCreditReportsUSA.com

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