For the legacy examination rule reflected by this preserved question, the intended answer is $5,000. Earlier versions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act provided that a person who knowingly and willfully obtained information about a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses could be fined up to $5,000, imprisoned, or both.

There is an important current-law qualification. Congress amended 15 U.S.C. § 1681q in 1996. The current statutory language no longer specifies a fixed $5,000 maximum. It provides that anyone who knowingly and willfully obtains consumer information from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses shall be fined under Title 18, imprisoned for not more than two years, or both. The statutory history specifically records that the former " $5,000 " language was replaced.

Accordingly, C is the intended answer to the question exactly as supplied in the uploaded material, but the numerical rule is historical and should not be memorized as the current federal penalty structure.

Study Guide Reference: Federal Laws and Regulations — Fair Credit Reporting Act; permissible purposes; false pretenses; consumer-report protections and penalties.