'CIFAS' The Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System

What is CIFAS? - The UK’s fraud prevention service CIFAS is a membership association that was developed to assist in the prevention of fraudulent activity. CIFAS intention is to protect innocent individuals whose identity is used fraudulently by others to obtain credit.

If an application is made for a facility - such as a mobile phone, insurance, a loan or other financial product or service - with a member association of CIFAS, and the applicant fails verification checks, then a CIFAS warning may be placed against your credit report.

CIFAS Protective Registration Service - The CIFAS Protective Registration Service is a service which protects an individual against identity theft.

A CIFAS warning on your credit report does not mean that you have been accused of fraudulent activity. A CIFAS warning signals that your personal identification may have been used by a fraudster in an attempt to obtain credit or gain access to a facility, such as a mobile phone. This indicates to the CIFAS member that they may need to carry out additional checks.

CIFAS Membership - Only member organisations of CIFAS can see if a CIFAS warning has been recorded against an applicant’s credit report. If you have a CIFAS warning recorded on your credit report this can lead to a delay in your application being processed because the CIFAS member will need to verify the legitimacy of your application.

Removing a CIFAS Warning on your Credit Report - You can apply to have a CIFAS warning removed from your credit report. However, a CIFAS warning simply indicates that you may need to provide additional information to prove your identity.

A CIFAS member cannot automatically decline an application from an individual with a CIFAS warning recorded on their credit report. They must first confirm the validity of the application. If they are able to confirm this, then the CIFAS member will process your application as they would any other. Your application will then become subject to the CIFAS member association’s assessment policies and your credit rating.

Including a CIFAS Warning on your Credit Report - If you believe you are a victim of identity theft you should contact CIFAS straight away. An individual can place a CIFAS warning against their own address on their credit report if they have good reason to believe their identification has been misused. If you apply to include this information on your credit report you will be asked to supply information that can be used to verify the authenticity of any applications made in your name.

For more information visit http://www.cifas.org.uk/. Or gain access to your credit report by clicking How to get your credit report.