Cifas Marker

[ShiningInTheDark]

So after being refused a bank account and then going around in circles - checking all the credit ratings - all were fine, we find out that there is a cifas marker against us suggesting we have been involved in fraudulent activity!!!! and we have absolutely no idea what we have done wrong - we had no idea Cifas even existed and a credit rating or report will not reveal a marker against you.
We have had to send an application to them to reveal who has reported us and for what and we are genuinely confused and very concerned.
Interested to know if anyone else has had dealings with this agency, as the internet is full of horror stories about how easily you can get reported and the impact this can have on your finances, the mark lasts for 6 years. I feel quite stressed about this.

I work in finance and it can be for a number of things.

It could be if someone has tried impersonating you, if you have given false details, if you have taken out loan/finance/insurance and not intended to pay from the get go, false insurance claims etc.

So if someone has impersonated you, they would be doing you a favour by stopping any further impersonations

Could even be just be the address ! How long have u lived there?

@LongtimeLurker29 If it was impersonation, which is always possible - don't you think the company reporting should have an obligation to let us know...surely making us aware does not make companies more vulnerable? We have not knowingly defrauded or not paid any bills/insurance etc It really feel like big brother taking over...even signed up to check my file - and not a word of warning...I don't understand why they are so secretive!

Could even be just be the address ! How long have u lived there? 12 years.

My Experion score is 999 out of 999, dh's is too!

Yes if it was impersonation they would try and contact you. Sometimes, people can't be contacted as there are no contact numbers available (quite common if you don't open accounts often) so if you contact cifas they may be able to resolve it upon speaking to you.

What I meant to say was the company that loaded it may be able to resolve upon speaking to you

I have a cifas flag on my credit file because I’ve had my identity stolen before. It means that banks etc have to do additional ID checks on any applications made in my name. It’s a pain in the arse when I actually want to open something myself, but that’s preferable to being defrauded, or being accused of fraud because of something some crook has managed to do using my name. I don’t think banks can hold it against you though, that would be classed as unfair treatment by the FCA/FOS.

I don’t think banks can hold it against you though, that would be classed as unfair treatment by the FCA/FOS. Well that is exactly what one high street bank are threatening to do, I wouldn't care but we want to use a service that only they can provide. I can just see how much time this is going to take to resolve - it's taken enough time to uncover the problem this far.

Just checked checkmyfile and there is no Cifas marker against me - which means it is not victim of impersonation or protective registration, so the company who reported me - either believe my account was hijacked (why would they not tell me) or they believe that I have committed a serious financial fraud!!!!
Bloody hell - this feels like libellous accusations being made about me. I'm going to have to wait at least two weeks to find out who my accuser is and what my supposed crime is. I just glad that we are not applying for something time critical important like a mortgage.

Is there a max timescale? As at least 2 weeks seems a long time! I hope it doesn't take even longer than that for you

No max timescale, just an aim and a warning that it could take longer. So far - I applied to the bank on Monday - they promised to assess my file within 48hours but failed to give me a reference number so we started again on Tuesday at the branch, got a call on Thursday evening to say no one had looked at it - we have heard nothing since.

A Cifas marker doesn't normally mean you're being accused of fraud, it means you're seen as unusually likely to be a victim.

I would bypass checkmyfile and get the statutory reports directly from Experian, Equifax, and Transunion (formerly Callcredit). You can also make a subject access request with Cifas directly, www.cifas.org.uk/contact-us/subject-access-request

A Cifas marker should not affect your ability to get credit, but prompts lenders to make extra checks. That said some products work on the basis of "automatic or nothing" and won't do the extra manual checks.

I wouldn't be surprised if the bank have got the wrong person's credit report or something like that.

How frustrating.

I do agree with the poster above, it may be you've been highlighted as a potential victim rather than perpetrator. Of course it all could be a mistake and instead be lodged against someone with a similar name/same DOB

@safariboot Thanks I have reports from all the credit agencies - I am clear on them all. And I have applied for a subject access request for both dh and I, as we both seem to have the marker, or at least we both seem to be implicated through our financial relationship. Only the checkmyfile report mention cifas and when they do mention a marker they will only report on markers which suggest you were a victim of fraud - the marks they do not report on are of the more serious "person is suspected of fraud". We have no marks on the checkmyfile report so it must be the more serious kind.
I need to stop googling on this stuff - it's frightening what this can do to people.
@BouquetOfRoses Thanks we have our fingers crossed it's all a big mistake. We're not even looking to borrow money - just another current account.

I got the report back from Cifas - they do not have any negative information on me. Have now officially been refused a normal bank account due to information held on me from Experion, they have offered me a basic account for people with poor credit ratings - so I have checked with Experion and I'm rated as 999 out of 999. It doesn't make sense.

When did you get the Experian report? Is it possible that it held something negative at the time of the application?

Although CIFAS and poor credit are and should be treated differently!

I checked my online experian report yesterday.

The first time I applied they told me it was a cifas marker, next time I applied the told me it was an Experian report. (These two applications were for different products from the same company)

Just checked dh's and he has a perfect experion score too!