Archive · 20 Nov 2025
Protecting Credit Health: Review Reports, Spot Suspicious Inquiries
Checking your credit score helps keep your financial health in check.
You can get a free report from bureaus like CIBIL, CRIF, Experian, or Equifax.
Look for strange credit checks or mistakes in your report to avoid identity fraud and maintain good credit.
Access one free credit report annually from each of the four RBI-licensed bureaus.
Review the 'inquiries' section to spot suspicious or repeated credit checks.
Verify personal information, credit accounts, and account status in the report.
Look for errors such as unauthorized inquiries, unknown loan accounts, or incorrect overdue amounts.
Regularly monitor your score to protect against fraud and maintain loan eligibility.
- Who
- Aspiring borrowers and credit users in the country
- What
- Check their credit score and spot suspicious inquiries
- When
- Periodically, especially before applying for loans
- Where
- On platforms like CIBIL, CRIF, Experian, or Equifax
- Why
- To prevent identity fraud, maintain healthy credit, and ensure loan eligibility
Proponents of Regular Credit Checks
Advocates of Limited Credit Checks
Frequency of Checks
Proponents of Regular Credit Checks
Regular, periodic checks help maintain credit health and prevent fraud.
Advocates of Limited Credit Checks
Too many checks can negatively impact credit score and may indicate fraudulent activity.
- Free Reports
- One per year from each bureau
- Bureaus
- CIBIL, CRIF, Experian, Equifax
- Report Sections
- Personal info, credit accounts, inquiries, account status
- Suspicious Inquiries
- Multiple or unauthorized checks
- Reporting Errors
- To the concerned bureau
