SCAM SAFETY
7 credit repair red flags
No legitimate company can guarantee a specific score or make accurate negative information disappear on demand.
Important: This guide is educational and is not individualized legal or financial advice.
Warning signs
Slow down if a company does any of the following.
- Guarantees a score increase
- Promises to remove accurate, current information
- Demands payment before promised services
- Tells you not to contact credit bureaus
- Encourages false identity-theft claims
- Suggests a CPN or new identity
- Hides cancellation rights or a written contract
What you can do for free
You have the right to dispute inaccurate credit report information yourself without paying a credit repair company.
If you were misled
Save advertisements, contracts, receipts, and messages. Consider reporting the matter to the FTC, CFPB, and your state attorney general.
Reviewed July 19, 2026.
Primary references: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau credit report resources and Federal Trade Commission consumer credit guidance.
CFPB credit resources ↗ · FTC consumer protection ↗ · IdentityTheft.gov ↗