How to Dispute an Error on Your CCRIS or CTOS Report in Malaysia

If your CCRIS or CTOS report contains an error, you have a legal right to dispute it and have it corrected at no cost. Under Malaysia’s Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010, every credit reporting agency must investigate your dispute and respond within a fixed timeframe. The process is straightforward once you know which channel to use and what evidence to prepare.

Why errors happen and why they matter

Credit report errors are more common than most people expect. A financial institution may miskey a payment date, a judgment that was settled years ago may still appear as active, or someone else’s account may be incorrectly linked to your identity record. Even a single wrong entry can push your CTOS score or CCRIS profile into a range that triggers a loan rejection or a higher interest rate.

Common error types include:

• A loan or credit card account showing as overdue when you have already settled it
• A closed account still listed as active
• A legal judgment or bankruptcy that belongs to another person with a similar name
• Incorrect personal details such as your IC number, address, or employer
• A credit facility you never applied for (potential identity theft indicator)

CCRIS vs CTOS: who owns the data, and who you must contact

Before you take action, understand which system holds the wrong data. The two systems are separate and require different dispute channels.

System	Who runs it	What it holds	Where to dispute
CCRIS	Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)	All outstanding credit from licensed banks and financial institutions regulated by BNM	The specific financial institution that submitted the wrong data
CTOS	CTOS Data Systems Sdn Bhd (private CRA)	Public records (legal suits, bankruptcy), trade references, CCRIS summary	CTOS directly, via online portal or phone
CTOS Basis	CTOS Basis Sdn Bhd (sister CRA)	Similar public record coverage, widely used by telcos and utilities	CTOS Basis customer service

The key difference: CCRIS data originates from your bank or lender. BNM only reflects what the institution reports. That means you must fix the error at the source institution first, not with BNM.

CTOS, on the other hand, holds some data it collects directly (court records, trade references). For those entries, you dispute with CTOS itself.

Step-by-step: disputing a CCRIS error

Step 1: Pull your eCCRIS report and pinpoint the entry

Log in to eCCRIS at ccris.com.my using your MyKad and SingPass equivalent credentials. Your report is free once per month. Note the exact institution name, account number, and the field that is wrong.

Step 2: Gather your evidence

The strength of your dispute depends entirely on your documentation. Collect:

• Bank statement or payment receipt confirming the correct outstanding balance or zero balance
• Settlement letter or full settlement certificate from the bank
• Court discharge order if a legal judgment was settled or set aside
• Any correspondence from the bank confirming the account was closed or restructured
• Your MyKad (front and back) for identity verification

Step 3: Contact the financial institution directly

Write a formal letter or email to the bank’s complaints unit. State clearly: the account number, the error you found, the correct information, and the evidence you are attaching. Under the Financial Services Act 2013, banks must acknowledge your complaint within one business day and provide a decision within five business days for straightforward cases, or 20 business days for more complex ones (effective from updated BNM guidelines in 2026).

Keep a reference number for every communication.

Step 4: The institution updates BNM

Once the institution verifies your claim and corrects the data on their end, they submit the updated record to BNM in their next reporting cycle. CCRIS is updated monthly by reporting institutions. Allow four to six weeks from the date the bank confirms the correction for the updated data to appear on your eCCRIS report.

Step 5: Escalate to BNM if the institution does not respond

If the bank fails to act within the stated timeframe, escalate to BNMTELELINK, BNM’s consumer inquiry and complaint service:

• Phone: 1-300-88-5465 (BNMTELELINK)
• Online: bnm.gov.my/bnmtelelink
• Written: Bank Negara Malaysia, Jalan Dato’ Onn, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

For personal information errors on CCRIS (IC number, address, employment) that are not sourced from a specific lender, you may submit a Data Verification Request directly through the eCCRIS portal without going through a bank.

Step-by-step: disputing a CTOS error

Step 1: Get your MyCTOS report

Download your MyCTOS Basic report free once a year at myctos.com.my. Identify the specific section containing the error: court records, trade references, CCRIS summary, or personal details.

Step 2: Determine who submitted the data

• Court records and legal suits: the Insolvency Department (MDI) or court registrar is the original source
• Trade references: the utility company, telco, or trade creditor that filed the reference
• CCRIS summary: dispute this via CCRIS, not CTOS

Step 3: File the dispute with CTOS

File directly through the CTOS dispute portal at ctoscredit.com.my/disputes or by calling 03-2722 8833. You will need:

• A copy of your MyKad
• A written description of the error and what the correct information should be
• Supporting documents (settlement receipts, court discharge orders, correspondence)

CTOS may contact the source party, such as the court or the creditor, to verify your claim.

Step 4: Await the investigation outcome

Under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010, CTOS must complete the investigation and notify you of the outcome within 21 working days. If CTOS confirms the entry is incorrect, they remove or amend it. If they cannot verify the correction, they are required to note your dispute on the report until the matter is resolved.

Resolution timelines at a glance

Dispute type	Who you contact first	Statutory / guideline deadline
CCRIS credit data error	Your bank or lender	Bank: 1 to 20 business days to respond; BNM data update: 4 to 6 weeks after bank correction
CCRIS personal info error	eCCRIS Data Verification Request	Typically 7 to 14 working days
CTOS court record or public data	CTOS disputes portal	21 working days (Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010)
CTOS trade reference	CTOS, which contacts the source creditor	21 working days
Unresolved after above steps	BNMTELELINK (for CCRIS) or Registrar of CRAs (for CTOS)	Handled case by case

What to do if your dispute is rejected

A rejection does not mean the process ends. You have two further options:

Option 1: Add a consumer statement. Both CCRIS and CTOS allow you to append a brief explanatory note to a disputed entry. This statement is visible to any lender who pulls your report and lets you provide context while the matter is under review.

Option 2: Escalate to the Registrar of Credit Reporting Agencies. Under Section 27 of the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010, you may lodge a formal complaint with the Registrar if you believe a CRA has failed to investigate your dispute properly or has refused a valid correction. The Registrar sits under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living.

If you believe the error is linked to identity theft, lodge a police report immediately and attach it to your dispute. Inform CTOS and your bank simultaneously. This creates a legal trail that strengthens your claim and may trigger additional protective flags on your profile.

Protecting yourself while the dispute is in progress

A pending dispute does not automatically pause loan applications. If you are applying for credit while waiting for a correction, be transparent with your lender. Show them the evidence you have filed, the bank’s acknowledgment letter, and any reference numbers. A responsible lender will consider the context, especially if you can demonstrate the error is under active investigation.

You should also consider monitoring your credit profile more frequently during this period. See our guide on how to improve your credit score in Malaysia for longer-term strategies once the error is resolved.

For borrowers under financial stress, AKPK’s Debt Management Programme offers free credit counselling and can help you distinguish between legitimate negative entries and actual reporting errors. Understanding the difference saves you time and prevents disputes from targeting entries that are, in fact, accurate.

Key takeaways

• You have a legal right to dispute incorrect credit data under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010, at no charge.
• CCRIS errors must be corrected at the source financial institution first, not with BNM directly. BNM updates once the bank reports the fix.
• CTOS disputes go directly to CTOS, which has 21 working days to investigate and respond.
• Build a complete evidence file before contacting anyone: settlement letters, receipts, court orders, and your MyKad copy.
• If a bank does not act within the guideline deadline (1 to 20 business days depending on complexity), escalate to BNMTELELINK at 1-300-88-5465.
• A rejected dispute does not close the process. You can add a consumer statement or escalate to the Registrar of CRAs.
• If you suspect identity theft, file a police report immediately and include it in your dispute documentation.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to fix a CCRIS error?

Allow four to six weeks from the date your bank confirms it has corrected the data. The bank needs time to update its own systems, and CCRIS data is refreshed in monthly reporting cycles. Simple personal-information corrections through eCCRIS’s Data Verification Request can be faster, typically seven to 14 working days.

Can I dispute a CTOS entry directly without going to the bank?

Yes, for entries that CTOS holds directly, such as court judgments, trade references, and legal suits, you file the dispute with CTOS. However, for the CCRIS summary section within your CTOS report, you must correct the underlying CCRIS data at the source bank first.

Will a dispute remove a genuine late payment from my record?

No. A dispute only corrects inaccurate information. If a late payment actually occurred and was correctly reported, it will remain on your record. CCRIS data is retained for 12 months after a credit facility is settled. The correct approach for genuine negative history is to maintain a clean repayment record going forward, which gradually reduces its impact. See our guide on your debt service ratio and how it affects loan eligibility for more context.

Is there a fee to dispute an error?

No. Both CCRIS and CTOS investigations are free of charge. Be cautious of any third-party service that charges a fee to “fix” your credit report. They have no special access or authority that you do not already have yourself.

What if someone opened a credit account in my name fraudulently?

File a police report first. Then contact your bank to freeze or close the fraudulent account, and simultaneously submit disputes to both CCRIS (through the bank) and CTOS. Attach the police report to all communications. If the account has a balance, the bank’s fraud team handles the liability investigation separately from the credit record correction.