Hard Credit Enquiry Without Consent: CIBIL and Credit Bureau Dispute Guide

An unknown hard enquiry is a warning sign. It may be a harmless forgotten application. It may also mean someone used your PAN, mobile number, Aadhaar, or salary record to apply for credit in your name.

If a loan or card also appears in your report, jump to if a new loan or card also appears.

Do not dispute blindly. First record the exact bureau, lender name, date, purpose, and amount shown.

Start with the bureau where you saw the unknown enquiry. Then check the others because a lender may report or enquire across more than one credit information company.

RBI directs credit information companies to provide one free full credit report, including credit score, once in a calendar year to individuals whose credit history is available with them. RBI free annual credit report circular

The main credit information companies in India are TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, and CRIF High Mark. Use their official websites only.

Open the enquiries section of the report and write down:

• lender or member name
• enquiry date
• enquiry purpose
• amount, if shown
• bureau report number
• your report date

Search your SMS and email for that lender name. Sometimes a loan marketplace, card comparison site, or “pre-approved” offer triggers a lender pull after you typed your PAN.

Send a short written complaint to the lender named in the enquiry. Ask it to confirm whether any credit application exists in your name.

Ask for:

• application date
• channel used
• mobile and email used
• product applied for
• consent or authorisation record
• whether any loan or card was issued
• request to withdraw the enquiry if no genuine application exists

Do not send full Aadhaar or PAN image unless the lender's official channel asks for identity verification. Mask unnecessary digits when possible.

Use the bureau's official dispute form. TransUnion CIBIL says users can raise a dispute through the CIBIL account's online dispute form and provide supporting documents. TransUnion CIBIL dispute guide

Attach:

• credit report page showing the enquiry
• lender complaint email
• lender reply, if available
• identity proof requested by the bureau
• cybercrime acknowledgement, if identity misuse is suspected

State the relief clearly: “remove unauthorised enquiry”, “mark no application made by me”, or “correct enquiry details”.

RBI's compensation framework says complainants are entitled to Rs 100 per calendar day if a complaint about credit information is not resolved within 30 calendar days from initial filing with the credit institution or credit information company. RBI credit information compensation framework

The same framework says a credit institution gets 21 calendar days to send corrected credit information to the credit information company, and the credit information company must resolve within the overall 30-calendar-day window. RBI credit information compensation framework

In your follow-up, ask for:

• correction status
• date of complaint registration
• date sent to bureau
• reason for rejection, if any
• compensation calculation if 30 calendar days have passed

RBI's Integrated Ombudsman FAQ says online complaints are filed through the CMS portal. RBI Integrated Ombudsman FAQ, RBI CMS

Use RBI CMS when:

• lender does not answer whether you applied
• bureau closes the dispute without clear reasons
• correction is delayed beyond 30 calendar days
• compensation is wrongly denied
• the same wrong enquiry keeps reappearing

Upload one PDF with your credit report, dispute reference, lender complaint, bureau reply, and delay calculation.

This is more serious than an enquiry. Act the same day.

1. Call the lender's fraud desk and ask for account freeze.
2. File a report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
3. Ask every credit bureau to flag identity misuse.
4. Ask the lender for application form, KYC documents, disbursal account, IP logs, and device logs.
5. File RBI CMS if the lender is a bank, NBFC, or credit information company covered by the RBI scheme.
6. File police complaint if money or identity documents were misused.

Subject: Unknown hard enquiry on my credit report - request for proof and withdrawal

Dear Grievance Officer,

My credit report from [bureau name] dated [date] shows an enquiry
by [lender name] on [enquiry date] for [product / amount shown].

I did not apply for this credit and did not authorise any person to
apply on my behalf.

Please confirm:
1. Whether any application exists in my name.
2. The application date, channel, mobile number, and email used.
3. The consent or authorisation record for pulling my credit report.
4. Whether any loan or card was sanctioned or disbursed.
5. If there is no genuine application, please withdraw the enquiry
   and report correction to all credit information companies.

Please also preserve the application record, IP logs, device logs,
KYC documents, and call recordings linked to this enquiry.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Mobile]
[Date]

Subject: Dispute of unauthorised enquiry in credit report

I dispute the enquiry by [lender name] dated [date] shown in my
credit report number [report number]. I did not apply for this
credit and did not authorise this enquiry.

I have asked the lender to confirm whether any genuine application
exists. Please investigate this enquiry, obtain confirmation from
the credit institution, and remove or correct it if no authorised
application exists.

I request resolution within the RBI credit information correction
timeline and compensation if the correction is delayed beyond the
applicable 30-calendar-day period.

Credit bureaus and private lenders are not public authorities under RTI. RTI helps only if the enquiry came from a public-sector bank, public-sector financial institution, or a government-linked loan scheme. In that case, ask the public information officer for the application number, officer note, KYC copy, and approval or rejection record behind the enquiry.

One enquiry may have limited effect. The bigger risk is identity misuse or repeated loan applications. Trace the lender first.

Usually no. If you applied and authorised the lender to check your credit, it is a genuine footprint. Dispute only wrong, duplicate, fraudulent, or unauthorised entries.

Yes. If you entered details on a loan marketplace, multiple lenders may assess your profile. Ask the marketplace and each lender for consent records.

Ask for the refusal in writing. Then raise a bureau dispute and RBI CMS complaint if the lender is RBI-regulated. If identity misuse is suspected, file cybercrime and police complaints.

RBI's credit information compensation framework provides Rs 100 per calendar day for delayed updation or rectification after the 30-calendar-day window. Larger damages may need a consumer commission or court, based on proof of loss.

• Download the report page showing the enquiry.
• Check whether any new loan or card also appears.
• Note lender name, date, purpose, and amount.
• Email the lender for application proof.
• Raise a bureau dispute.
• If identity misuse is likely, file at cybercrime.gov.in.

• CIBIL score check and dispute
• Wrong CIBIL entry after loan closure
• Unknown enquiry on credit report
• Unauthorised loan app showing on credit report
• RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
• Banking command desk

• RBI, Free Annual Credit Report to Individuals, 1 September 2016
• RBI, Framework for compensation to customers for delayed updation or rectification of credit information, 26 October 2023
• RBI, Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme FAQ
• RBI Complaint Management System
• TransUnion CIBIL, dispute resolution process
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

Last reviewed on 2 July 2026.