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What to do if…
your credit report shows a new hard inquiry you did not authorise

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Treat an unfamiliar hard inquiry as a possible attempted credit application. Put a free credit freeze on each of the three major credit reports, or place a fraud alert if you cannot freeze right now, then contact the company listed and dispute the inquiry where it appears.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t call numbers or click links shown next to the inquiry unless you verify the company independently.
  • Don’t apply for more credit to test whether your file is still usable.
  • Don’t pay anyone who promises instant inquiry removal.
  • Don’t assume freezing or disputing with one bureau covers the other bureaus.
  • Don’t confuse a free credit freeze with a paid credit lock product.
  • Don’t send original documents if a bureau or company asks for proof.

What to do now

  1. Save the inquiry details before anything changes.
    Write down the company name, inquiry date, bureau report where it appears, and whether it is shown as a hard inquiry. Save a screenshot or PDF of that part of the report.

  2. Place a free credit freeze with each major bureau.
    Freeze separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A freeze stops most new creditors from accessing your credit file until you lift it, which usually makes it harder for someone to open new credit in your name. It does not protect existing accounts, so keep checking those separately.

  3. If you cannot freeze right now, place an initial fraud alert.
    Contact any one of the three major bureaus to place an initial fraud alert. That bureau must tell the other two, and the alert tells creditors to take steps to verify your identity before opening new credit. An initial fraud alert lasts one year.

  4. Contact the company that made the inquiry using a verified route.
    Use the company’s official website, secure app, or a phone number from a trusted statement, not a link or number shown in a suspicious message. Say that you did not authorize the credit pull, did not apply for credit, and want any pending application in your name stopped or closed. Ask how they will confirm in writing that the inquiry or application was unauthorized.

  5. Dispute the inquiry with every bureau that shows it.
    File a dispute with each credit bureau where the hard inquiry appears. State that the inquiry was unauthorized, give the company name and date, and keep copies of everything you submit. If supporting documents are requested, send copies, not originals.

  6. Dispute with the company that supplied or used the inquiry information.
    Ask the company where to send a dispute or fraud statement for an unauthorized application. Keep the message short: you did not apply, you did not authorize the inquiry, and you want the inquiry and any related application corrected or removed if they confirm it was not yours.

  7. Check whether there is more than an inquiry.
    Use AnnualCreditReport.com to check your full reports for new accounts, unfamiliar addresses, unfamiliar phone numbers, or other inquiries you do not recognize. Avoid similarly named sites.

  8. If an account was opened or an application is active, start an identity theft report.
    Use IdentityTheft.gov and keep the recovery plan, report, or reference information it gives you. A company may ask for an identity theft report before blocking or removing fraud-related information.

  9. Secure the accounts that could let someone apply as you.
    Change the password on your main email account and turn on two-factor authentication. Check your phone account for unexpected SIM changes, new devices, or loss-of-service notices, because email and phone access can help someone pass identity checks.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today whether to hire a credit repair company.
  • You do not need to pay for monitoring before you have frozen your reports or placed a fraud alert.
  • You do not need to contact every company you have ever used; start with the company listed on the inquiry and the bureaus that show it.
  • You can wait to replace IDs unless you have a specific reason to think an ID document is stolen or being actively used.
  • You can wait to apply for new credit until your freeze or alert is in place and the dispute process has started.

Important reassurance

A hard inquiry can be an early warning, and finding it early gives you useful options. Freezes, fraud alerts, company contact, and disputes are ordinary steps people use when a credit file may have been used without permission.

Scope note

These are first steps for an unauthorized hard inquiry. If you later find a new account, debt collection, tax fraud, benefits fraud, employment fraud, or threats connected to the inquiry, later decisions may need specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, financial, credit repair, or professional advice. Processes and responses can vary by bureau and company. If you believe you are being threatened, extorted, or stalked in connection with this, contact local law enforcement or an appropriate emergency service.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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