GREENVILLE -- Since the government began offering free credit reports last year, millions of people have logged on to www.Annual CreditReport.com to obtain their copy.

But thousands who might have made a single typing mistake have ended up someplace very different, reported WYFF-TV in Greenville.

"Fraudsters are trying to get the very information that this (site) was created to get them from getting," Better Business Bureau's Kathy Barrett said.

The Better Business Bureau and WorldPrivacyForum.org estimate there are now more than 200 Web sites with addresses that are almost identical to the government's credit report Web site.

Among those sites are:

• AnnualCreditorReport.com
• AnnualCeditReport.com (notice the missing 'r')
• AnnualCreditBureauReport.com
• AnnualOnlineCreditReport.com
• AnnualCreditMonitoringReport.com
• AnnualFreeCreditReport.org

"They may have one digit off, or they may have 'free credit report' with dashes between it instead of no dashes," Barrett said.

Go to these sites, and you'll find fee-based credit report offers.

But you'll also find links for airline tickets, hotels, music, dating, Texas Hold’em poker, even a link for alcohol treatment.

Barrett said some imposter Web sites are nothing more than a means to commit fraud.

"The information that you're going to put into these sites is the information that is used for identity theft," she said.

Barrett said there is one easy way to avoid the problem -- don't use the Internet to get your credit reports.

How To Access Free Credit Report

• Online: annualcreditreport.com
• By Phone: (877) 322-8228
• By Mail:
  Annual Credit Report Request Service
  P.O. Box 105281
  Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Applicants are required to provide their name, address, Social Security number and date of birth.

Requests should be processed within 15 days.