Letter 1: to the lender that pulled your report
[Your full name] [Your current address] [City, State ZIP] [Date] [Lender name] [Lender address — use the address on the inquiry line of your report, or the lender's consumer inquiries address] Re: Unauthorized credit inquiry dated [date shown on report] To whom it may concern: My [TransUnion / Experian / Equifax] credit report shows a hard inquiry from your company dated [date]. I did not apply for credit, insurance or any other product with your company on or around that date, and I did not authorize you to access my credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, §604 (15 U.S.C. §1681b), a consumer report may be obtained only for a permissible purpose. Please provide, within 30 days, either: 1. A copy of the application or written authorization bearing my signature or electronic consent that established your permissible purpose for this inquiry; or 2. Written confirmation that you have instructed the consumer reporting agencies to delete the inquiry from my file. If this inquiry resulted from an error or from an application submitted in my name without my knowledge, please also confirm whether any account was opened, and close it. Sincerely, [Signature] [Printed name] Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY] SSN (last four): XXX-XX-[1234]
Letter 2: to the credit bureau
[Your full name] [Your current address] [City, State ZIP] Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY] SSN (last four): XXX-XX-[1234] [Date] [Bureau dispute address] Re: Dispute of unauthorized inquiry under FCRA §611 To whom it may concern: My credit report includes a hard inquiry that was made without a permissible purpose: Company: [Name exactly as shown] Date of inquiry: [Date] I did not apply for credit or any product with this company and did not authorize access to my report. [If applicable: I wrote to the company on [date] requesting proof of permissible purpose. A copy of my letter and their response, if any, is enclosed.] [If identity theft: This inquiry is the result of identity theft. An FTC Identity Theft Report is enclosed, and I request that this inquiry be blocked under FCRA §605B within four business days.] Please investigate and delete this inquiry, and send me written results and a free updated copy of my report. Enclosed: copy of my government-issued photo ID; copy of proof of my current address; [lender correspondence / FTC report]. Sincerely, [Signature] [Printed name]
How to send them
- Send Letter 1 to the lender, certified mail. Give them two to three weeks.
- Send Letter 2 to each bureau showing the inquiry, with the lender's response attached if you have it.
- If you suspect fraud, place a free fraud alert (one call to any bureau covers all three) or a freeze while you wait.
Full guide: removing unauthorized hard inquiries. The software flags inquiries with no matching account and writes both letters. Start for $1.99.
Frequently asked questions
Which letter do I send first?
The lender letter. Lenders that can't show an application usually agree to remove the inquiry, and their written response strengthens your bureau dispute.
What if I think it's identity theft?
File a report at IdentityTheft.gov first. Then send the bureau letter with a copy of the FTC report and cite FCRA §605B, which requires the bureau to block the inquiry within four business days.
Can I use this for inquiries I authorized?
No. If you applied, the lender had permissible purpose and the inquiry is accurate. Disputing it wastes a round and can flag your future disputes as frivolous.