A creditor pulled your credit without authorization or a permissible purpose under federal law.
Statute: FCRA §1681b
Reviewed by David Hemminger, Consumer Protection Attorney · Hemminger Law Firm.
FCRA §1681b lists the only permissible purposes for pulling a consumer report: a credit application you initiated, an account review on an existing relationship, employment with written consent, insurance underwriting, court order, and a few others. Pulls outside those categories are violations.
Each unauthorized hard pull dings your score and can stay on your report for 2 years. Patterns of unauthorized pulls also signal possible identity theft.
Review every hard inquiry on your report against your own application history. Any inquiry you do not recognize is a candidate.
Demand letter to the inquirer requesting documentation of permissible purpose. No documentation = FCRA violation.
Unauthorized-inquiry FCRA cases commonly settle in the $1,000 - $3,500 range per inquirer; willful patterns have produced larger awards. Award ranges are illustrative of historical FCRA / FDCPA recoveries reported in public consent orders and reported settlements; they are not a guarantee of any particular outcome.
No. Pre-screen offers are soft inquiries that do not affect your score and require no consumer action.
Demand documentation of permissible purpose. If they cannot produce it, the inquiry is a §1681b violation and may be removed and litigated.
Order all three credit reports (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion), then compare the same account across bureaus. Mismatched dates, balances, statuses, or duplicate entries are the most common signal. Credit1Solutions offers a free 3-bureau review to flag candidate items for dispute.
No. Initial credit report review and dispute strategy are included in our service plans, and partnered consumer-protection attorneys take qualified FCRA/FDCPA matters on a contingency basis — fees are paid by the defendant under the statutes' fee-shifting provisions, not by you.
Pull a free 3-bureau credit report review and we will flag suspected unauthorized hard inquiries items for attorney-supervised dispute. Start your free consultation or take the eligibility quiz. Explore all violation types we monitor.
Reviewed by Hemminger Law Firm, Consumer Rights Attorneys | Last reviewed: January 1, 2026
Consumers are protected by several federal laws when dealing with credit reporting issues related to credit education:
You may file complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Reviewed by Hemminger Law Firm, Consumer Rights Attorneys | Last reviewed: January 1, 2026
The credit education company with attorneys who pursue collectors and bureaus when they violate FCRA / FDCPA. Typical client recovery: $3,500+ per successful case. Free TransUnion FICO® 4 mortgage score included — no credit card required.