 TITLE: Can Credit Repair Companies Remove Hard Inquiries? CONTENT: Protecting Your Credit\n----------------------\nDisputing fraudulent inquiries is only one aspect of safeguarding your credit history. And since only fraudulent hard inquiries can be removed from your credit report, you need to take extra steps to protect your identity. For example, you can request temporary fraud alerts on your credit report for one year, and victims of identity theft can request extended fraud victim alerts that last for seven years. You can also request a security freeze on your credit report that's designed to prevent new credit accounts, loans and services from being opened in your name. However, keep in mind that a security freeze can also delay or interfere with the approval of loan applications that you submit; you need to know how to remove a security freeze when you want to apply for credit. Learn more about preventing fraud.\nWhen it comes to removing fraudulent inquiries from your credit reports, a credit repair company is simply asking for money to perform a service that you can do for yourself. By understanding what credit repair is and how it works to remove unauthorized inquiries, you can make an informed decision the next time a company advertises that it can improve your credit for a fee. END