A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. If you suspect your personal information or identity was stolen, placing a credit freeze can help protect you from fraud.
Have you ever checked your credit report and found a hard inquiry from a company you don’t recognize? This can be alarming, especially if you did not give that company permission to access your credit Unauthorized credit inquiries can be a sign of identity theft or fraud. If you spot one on your report, it’s important to take action right away to find out where it came from and get it removed In this article, I’ll explain what you should do step-by-step if you find an unauthorized credit inquiry.
Understanding Credit Inquiries
First, let’s quickly go over what credit inquiries are and the different types. When a company checks your credit, it’s called a credit inquiry or a credit pull. There are two main types:
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Soft inquiry – Also known as a soft pull. In this case, a business checks your credit to offer you a credit card or give you quotes for things like insurance. Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score.
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When you apply for new credit, like a credit card, loan, or mortgage, this is called a “hard inquiry,” which is also called a “hard pull.” Hard inquiries can slightly lower your credit score.
If you agree, a hard inquiry will show up on your credit report for two years. Seeing one from a business you don’t know could mean you’ve been scammed or have your identity stolen.
Step 1: Identify the Source of the Inquiry
The first thing you should do is figure out where the strange question came from. Bring out a copy of your credit report and look at the business name next to the inquiry.
Make sure it’s definitely one you don’t recognize and didn’t authorize. Sometimes inquiries show up under names you might not immediately connect with the actual company. For example, a department store credit card inquiry might show up under the bank that issues their cards.
If it’s clearly not a company you’ve done business with, it’s time to investigate further.
Step 2: Contact the Company
Reach out to the company that made the unauthorized credit inquiry. Call their customer service line and explain that you found an inquiry from them on your credit report that you did not authorize.
Politely ask them to provide proof that you authorized them to access your credit. If they can’t provide evidence of your consent, request that they immediately delete the inquiry from your credit report. Make sure to document this conversation and who you spoke with.
If the company confirms the inquiry was a mistake, great! Make sure they follow through on removing it from your credit report right away. Continue monitoring your report to verify it gets deleted.
However, if the company insists the inquiry was authorized, move on to taking additional steps to remove it and further protect your credit.
Step 3: Report Potential Fraud
If a company claims an unauthorized credit check was actually authorized by you, that’s a red flag for identity theft. In that case, you’ll need to take action to report the potential fraud.
First, visit IdentityTheft.gov. This is a website run by the Federal Trade Commission that helps identity theft victims report and recover from fraud. You can use it to create an official identity theft report.
Also file a fraud alert with one of the three main credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. This will require creditors to verify your identity when opening any new accounts. A fraud alert lasts for one year but you can renew it after it expires.
Additionally, file a police report about the unauthorized credit inquiry. Provide the report number to the credit bureaus when disputing the inquiry to strengthen your case.
Step 4: Dispute the Inquiry
To get an unauthorized credit inquiry removed from your reports, you’ll need to dispute it with the credit bureaus reporting it. This process tells the bureaus to investigate the inquiry. Here are the main steps:
1. Identify which bureaus are reporting the inquiry. Check your credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to see which are showing the false inquiry. You may need to dispute it with each bureau separately.
2. Gather supporting documents. Include a copy of your police report and any letters or documentation from your communications with the company that checked your credit. This supports your claim that the inquiry was unauthorized.
3. Send dispute letters to each bureau. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides sample dispute letter templates. Send your letters to each bureau’s dispute address with your evidence.
4. Follow up on your dispute. Within 30 days, the bureaus must investigate and respond to your dispute. Verify the inquiry gets removed and if not, call to follow up.
Step 5: Monitor Your Credit
Going forward, keep a very close eye on your credit by checking your reports frequently and signing up for credit monitoring. This will help you catch any future unauthorized inquiries quickly so you can dispute them ASAP.
Ongoing credit monitoring also alerts you of any new accounts opened in your name, which is a sign of identity theft. Be vigilant about monitoring your credit if someone now has your personal information.
Protecting Yourself from Unauthorized Credit Checks
To help prevent this issue in the future, here are some tips:
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Order your free annual credit reports to review inquiries.
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Put a credit freeze on your reports to block access from new creditors.
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Opt out of prescreened credit card offers to limit unsolicited applications.
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Shred financial documents and watch your mail for stolen information.
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Use strong passwords and security questions.
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Be cautious providing personal information like SSNs.
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Review accounts frequently for unknown charges or activity.
What To Do If You Spot an Unauthorized Inquiry
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Identify the source of the inquiry on your credit report
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Contact the company and ask for proof of authorization
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Report potential fraud to the FTC and credit bureaus
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Dispute the inquiry with the credit bureaus
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Continue monitoring your credit closely
Finding an unauthorized credit inquiry can be scary and frustrating. But by taking quick action to dispute it and reporting potential fraud, you can get it removed from your credit and help prevent any identity theft damage. With vigilance about monitoring your credit, you can catch issues early and protect your information.
Place or lift a credit freeze
Freeze or lift the freeze on your credit report for free by contacting each of the three major credit reporting agencies:
You can submit your request online, by phone, or by mail.
What is a credit freeze?
When you place a security freeze, creditors cannot access your credit report. This will keep them from approving any new credit account in your name, whether it is fraudulent or legitimate.
To let lenders and other companies access your credit files again to create new accounts, you will need to lift your credit freeze permanently or temporarily.
Do NOT Let a Car Dealership Trick You into Pulling Your Credit
FAQ
What should I do if someone pulls my credit report?
File a police report. Contact anyone fraudulently given your personal information to close any accounts opened in your name. Ask the CRAs to delete the unauthorized credit pulls from your reports. Consider adding a fraud alert to your credit reports to alert parties trying to pull your credit information.
How do I find out who pulled my credit?
You can find out who pulled your credit by checking your credit report. Each time any lender, business or individual checks your credit, a hard or soft inquiry is listed on your report, noting who made the request, the date of the request, and the entity’s contact information.
Can a lender pull my credit report?
Beyond that, lenders, employers, government agencies and others are only allowed to pull your credit report for specific purposes, such as: There are certain types of credit pulls that can be made without your permission. These are called soft inquiries, and they won’t affect your credit score.
Can I pull my own credit report?
You can pull your own credit report, for example. As can a lender, employer, landlord or insurance company, under the right circumstances. Pulling your own credit report will not hurt your credit standing in any way. In fact, self-credit checks might help your score go up if you find things you can do better or mistakes you can dispute.
How do I know if someone made a hard credit pull?
To see if someone made a hard credit pull without your consent, review your credit reports. (This is recommended on a regular basis even if you do not suspect problems. ) Go to Annual Credit Report. com to obtain free reports from the CRAs. Each report has a section containing hard pulls that a third-party made.
What if someone pulled my credit without my permission?
If you see that someone pulled your credit without your permission, don’t stress. Know that not all credit pulls affect your score negatively — but, of course, some do. We’ll explain the differences. Get everything you need to master your credit today. I recently got married and had my name changed.
What to do if someone pulls your credit without permission?
Correcting unconsented-to inquiriesReport the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). File a police report. Contact anyone fraudulently given your personal information to close any accounts opened in your name. Ask the CRAs to delete the unauthorized credit pulls from your reports.
What can you do if someone ruins your credit?
Dispute Credit Fraud With Your LendersCall any affected companies where fraud has occurred. Contact your credit card company. Place a fraud alert with all three credit bureaus. Dispute incorrect information on your credit report. Close any other new accounts opened in your name.
What happens when someone pulls your credit?
Hard inquiries can affect your credit score negatively, though the impact is usually negligible and temporary. A single hard inquiry will usually take fewer than five points off your FICO® Score Θ , with this score impact remaining for up to a year.
How do I find out who did a credit check on me?
When you request a copy of your credit report, you will see a list of anyone who has requested your credit report within the past year, including lenders, credit card companies, or landlords who have requested your report.