Mysterious TransUnion HP

[xiuxiuejar]

On April 26th of this year, I applied for an AMEX Gold card and was approved. I was happy of course because I got in with AMEX after years of financial disarray. The Experian HP was expected and showed up that same day.

But this morning, I got a notification (actually, many notifications) saying that there was a hard pull to my Trans Union file by AMEX. I'm confused because I didn't even apply for anything. I did test the waters a few times since I opened the Gold card, but was declined- and I did make sure I saw the apply with confidence language when I apped. But both times were a while back anyway. 

I did check Trans Union and it is definitely a hard pull. I also checked my AMEX app to see if there was another card showing (since a successful app would likely show the card on my account). I called AMEX's credit report department, but they are closed today for the weekend. Is it possible this is was a "second pull" to another file which was done in April which is just now showing up? Or was this supposed to be a soft pull (I've seen the soft pull by other card issuers n my full file). I want to hear from AMEX before I call Trans Union and dispute, but do any of you have experience with the oddball Trans Union AMEX pull out of nowhere?

[FicoMike0]

Make it clear you didn't apply for anything. Suggest that you suspect identity theft of fraud. Banks hate that word. I got both wells and Chase to remove a hp after I used the fraud word.

[FicoMike0]

Another thing. You can freeze all three reports. When you want to apply for credit, you can schedule a temporary thaw, just a day or however many you need. No worry then about a hp you didn't authorize.

[xiuxiuejar]

I'll probably eventually do that. My big worry is that someone may have used my identity, but if they did- why wouldn't the "new card" show up on their website when I log in?

[CreditPoor]

It's not a mysterious HP.  For many months now Amex has been double pulling Exp and Trans for apps. It doesn't happen to everyone but many people have experienced this, especially if this is your first card

[FicoMike0]

They double pulled me too. The mystery is it showing up much later. This brings up a common question, how do you know what you know (ie maybe you're wrong). Time to go to annualcreditreport.com, get the reports, and check the actual dates of the hps. Maybe the mystery pull was there all the time.

Again, keeping reports frozen works for me.