Cifas nightmare

[plke788sy2]

Hello I feel like im in a real mess this evening. but will push emotions aside to try give clear account of my issue.

 

Last week I applied for a credit card - newday/ fluid card. was told application pending. heard nothing back.

 

The day after on checking my credit score with Equifax I noticed they had me listed as being financially linked to my mother who has been deceased for 8 years. I had seen this before on experian and had it removed. Equifax was more difficult had to send in death certs etc

 

yesterday they emailed saying the association will be removed in 48 hours. But during all of this a notice of correction was placed on my equifax account from equifax stating : "NOTICE OF DISPUTE - THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED HAS DISPUTED THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION REGISTERED AT THIS ADDRESS AND WE HAVE NOW CONTACTED THE SUBSCRIBER CONCERNED. CARE SHOULD THEREFORE BE TAKEN WHEN USING THE DATA AT THIS ADDRESS TO ASSESS THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED." The above notice will be removed in the next few days.

 

But then during all of this I got an alert from clearscore saying something new on my account was coming in. Which was / will be a  a CIFAS marker to be applied to my name "Victim of Impersonation — Use, by another person, of this name and/or address." it has not yet arrived on my credit file but is coming in any day now.

 

I then did some digging and eventually did a dsar to cifas.

It came back today and to my horror I found that I have 2 fraud markers from 2017 - using a false address / adverse credit . Along with a soon to be added "Victim of Impersonation — Use, by another person, of this name and/or address." this I found out today was from my application for a newday/Fluid card. So yes they are doing this because they think some one impersonated me - but it was me who did the application no one else.

 

The 2 cat 4 cifas markers are from 2017 - I only found out about them today!

 

Now when I made this applications back in 2017 I did yes skip my last address as it had bad credit rating. Stupid of me I know but i didnt think anything about it back then. I had just moved to a new home and was looking for a basic bank account.

 

in all the years since - I have secured bank accounts with RBS / Barclays and Monzo. All running perfectly. Even managed to get 4 credit cards - and improve my credit score the past few years (all the whilst not knowing i had 2 cifas markers on my name )

 

Then today concerned about what was showing I applied for a new phone with o2. I have had a contract phone with them for over 7 years and never had an issue. This time it was rejected with an hour. No reason given ( I have emailed them to ask why )

 

My concern now is will I now loose all my banking facilities because of the notice of dispute which does mean no matter what banks etc need to manual verify - but that should be removed in a few days but also the "protective marker" means I wont get any instant online credit decisions and in my mind im thinking and worrying that because of that banks / credit cards etc will dig deeper and find the 2 cat 4 fraud markers from 2017 and close everything down.

 

Been totally stressed the past few days.

If I loose my bank account im totally screwed .

im self employed and use paypal as main method of billing customers - which also is now exposed - and it feels like a pack of cards about to fall.

 

So does cat 4 cifas markers mean I will loose my banking facilities even though they are 5 years old ?

 

sorry for the long post which may not make sense but my head is a mess tonight.

 

thank you for reading D.

 

 

 

 

 

[dx100uk]

1 hour ago, plke788sy2 said:

Now when I made this applications back in 2017 I did yes skip my last address as it had bad credit rating.

total rubbish and an old wives tale - an address is not 'blacklisted'.

 

i doubt you'll lose what you have but you need to deal directly with the creditors that are/have placed these markers - not the ref agencies - they are a waste of time.

 

dx

 

 

[plke788sy2]

Hi yes I know and I am trying to find a contact number for Newday ltd got through to customer service yesterday they were not helpful at all. This recent "protective marker" they placed seems to be opening a can of worms now this is really getting to me sorry.

 

On checking the details of the marker from Newday from the Cifas report sent to me it shows the following :

Reason(s) for filing: Impersonation - Current address fraud

Cifas Filing: Victim of impersonation – use, by another person, of this name and/or address.

 

I was under the impression that such cifas markers would only stay on my file for 13 months but when reading the cifas notes on my sar report I saw this :

 

When Cifas member organisations determine that identity fraud has taken place, two entries are typically filed to the Cifas database. The first record relates to details provided within an application – the False Identity marker. This includes all the information provided to our member by an impersonator. Generally their true identity is not known, but what is known is the identity that they claim to be and the contact details they have provided. The name and usually the address will be of the innocent party, but they will provide their own contact details (or those under their control) such as mobile phone numbers and email address. This record is held for 6 years. We do not release the extra information provided by the person who is pretending to be the innocent party, as we consider such information is exempt from release on the basis of the prevention, or detection of crime, and the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.

 

The second record is a Victim of Impersonation or Victim of Takeover marker. This includes the genuine details of the victim, including their correct contact details, and is intended to protect the innocent victim from being further impersonated. It also allows Cifas members the option to contact the innocent party when they receive an application in their name, in order to confirm a genuine application. This record is held on our database for 13 months. Any Victim markers we hold about you are included within this response to you

 

The first paragraph seems to imply that cifas will actually hold this marker for 6 years for other credit companies to see. Which does not seem right as Newday are implying i am the victim here. Even though I am not a victim as it was me who made the credit application. Im worried if i do dispute this it makes things worse and they then apply a fraud marker for me trying to challenge this ?

 

Im desperately worried today as have read many people who have had all facilities closed down - banks etc - which for me would be the end.

 

thank you for reading

Thank you

Edited October 20, 2022 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed

[dx100uk]

I'm sure our cifas expert @fkofilee will pop in soon 

 

dx

[fkofilee]

Let me take a read and ill come back to you shortly. 

[plke788sy2]

Thank you appreciated.

[fkofilee]

On 20/10/2022 at 00:21, plke788sy2 said:

yesterday they emailed saying the association will be removed in 48 hours. But during all of this a notice of correction was placed on my equifax account from equifax stating : "NOTICE OF DISPUTE - THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED HAS DISPUTED THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION REGISTERED AT THIS ADDRESS AND WE HAVE NOW CONTACTED THE SUBSCRIBER CONCERNED. CARE SHOULD THEREFORE BE TAKEN WHEN USING THE DATA AT THIS ADDRESS TO ASSESS THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED." The above notice will be removed in the next few days.

 

 

This is perfectly normal for the process you state, I wouldnt worry about it. 

 

On 20/10/2022 at 00:21, plke788sy2 said:

But then during all of this I got an alert from clearscore saying something new on my account was coming in. Which was / will be a  a CIFAS marker to be applied to my name "Victim of Impersonation — Use, by another person, of this name and/or address." it has not yet arrived on my credit file but is coming in any day now.

 

This is a good thing - No need to worry. CIFAS markers dont appear on Credit Files - But Cat 0 / Cat 2s do  

 

On 20/10/2022 at 00:21, plke788sy2 said:

It came back today and to my horror I found that I have 2 fraud markers from 2017 - using a false address / adverse credit . Along with a soon to be added "Victim of Impersonation — Use, by another person, of this name and/or address." this I found out today was from my application for a newday/Fluid card. So yes they are doing this because they think some one impersonated me - but it was me who did the application no one else.

 

The 2 cat 4 cifas markers are from 2017 - I only found out about them today!

 

Now when I made this applications back in 2017 I did yes skip my last address as it had bad credit rating. Stupid of me I know but i didnt think anything about it back then. I had just moved to a new home and was looking for a basic bank account.

 

As non factual information was given then it is likely that the CIFAS Markers will stand. They do last for 6 years. 2023 is your cutoff when they will be removed. 

 

On 20/10/2022 at 00:21, plke788sy2 said:

Then today concerned about what was showing I applied for a new phone with o2. I have had a contract phone with them for over 7 years and never had an issue. This time it was rejected with an hour. No reason given ( I have emailed them to ask why )

 

My concern now is will I now loose all my banking facilities because of the notice of dispute which does mean no matter what banks etc need to manual verify - but that should be removed in a few days but also the "protective marker" means I wont get any instant online credit decisions and in my mind im thinking and worrying that because of that banks / credit cards etc will dig deeper and find the 2 cat 4 fraud markers from 2017 and close everything down.

 

This is normal, given the 1st quote I did above, most companies will decline if the risk factor is too high. Try again in 6 months when not so fresh, you should be alright. Even though its not negative as a Cat 1 marker - It will make applying for credit harder. 

 

On 20/10/2022 at 00:21, plke788sy2 said:

My concern now is will I now loose all my banking facilities because of the notice of dispute which does mean no matter what banks etc need to manual verify - but that should be removed in a few days but also the "protective marker" means I wont get any instant online credit decisions and in my mind im thinking and worrying that because of that banks / credit cards etc will dig deeper and find the 2 cat 4 fraud markers from 2017 and close everything down.

 

Been totally stressed the past few days.

If I loose my bank account im totally screwed .

im self employed and use paypal as main method of billing customers - which also is now exposed - and it feels like a pack of cards about to fall.

 

So does cat 4 cifas markers mean I will loose my banking facilities even though they are 5 years old ?

 

Trust me, the banks will already know. From a standpoint of CIFAS Cat 1 and Cat 4 Markers, if anything was to happen, it would have happened by now. The one that really gets under their skins is a Cat 6 - Its like the worse one you can get. 

 

--------------------------

0 Protective Registration -- Recorded at the request of the person named.
1 False Identity Fraud -- Use of a false name with an address.
2 Victim of Impersonation -- Use, by another person, of this name and/or address.
3 Application Fraud (Facility Granted) -- Use of name reasonably believed to be genuine, but with one or more material falsehoods in personal details or other relevant information -; the facility was granted.
4 Application Fraud (Facility Refused) -- Use of a name reasonably believed to be genuine, but with one or more material falsehoods in personal details or other relevant information -; the facility was refused.
5 Conversion -- Conversion (disposal or sale) of goods (to which the hirer/buyer does not have title) under a hire purchase, conditional sale, contract hire, leasing or rental agreement.
6 First Party Fraud -- Opening an account or other facility for a fraudulent purpose, or the fraudulent misuse of an account or facility.
7 Aiding & Abetting -- Aiding, abetting or assisting, or conspiring with, another or others to fraudulently procure credit, or other facilities, or hire products or services.
8 Insurance Claims Fraud -- The making of a claim(s) under one or more insurance policy (ies) with one or more material falsehoods or by presenting a false or forged document.

--------------------------

 

It will financially blacklist you for 6 years - Banks wont touch you, even with basic accounts. 

How do I know this, I have a Cat 4 myself that falls off later next year similar to you - Long history with a Mobile Op who shall not be named...

After about 3 years, companies tend to ignore them as they deem it less of a risk, its like aged defaults, they tend to be discarded after that period. 

I have a CC with Newday, I have multiple contracts with another Mobile Op. 2 x Bank Accounts with Challenger Banks (I hate the Mainstream)

 

So I am in a similar position to you. 

 

As for Paypal - They are not on the CIFAS Data Sharing List for the (NFD) National Fraud Database or the IFD (Internal Fraud Database) 

 

 

 

 

@dx100uk - Please can you keep the post quotes on this one as its quite complex due to the number of points raised

 

By the way - Cat 0 and Cat 1s last 13 months accordingly. They are designed to be protective, all other Cats are 6 years. 

 

 

TL;DR - Stop stressing - Its all good. Its for your good, likely a oversite on the mum passing and being financially linked to her. (If it hasnt cleared off) 

[plke788sy2]

Hi thank you for your extensive response I am reading through now fkofilee

[plke788sy2]

12 hours ago, fkofilee said:

 

This is perfectly normal for the process you state, I wouldnt worry about it. 

 

 

This is a good thing - No need to worry. CIFAS markers dont appear on Credit Files - But Cat 0 / Cat 1s do  

 

 

As non factual information was given then it is likely that the CIFAS Markers will stand. They do last for 6 years. 2023 is your cutoff when they will be removed. 

 

 

This is normal, given the 1st quote I did above, most companies will decline if the risk factor is too high. Try again in 6 months when not so fresh, you should be alright. Even though its not negative as a Cat 1 marker - It will make applying for credit harder. 

 

 

Yes  I have learned that just this past few days with my 02 knock back. And when trying to open a back up bank account with Thinkmoney who i have not used in years - it is still showing as pending because they needing to verify my identity. Im paranoid now that they may well give me another marker / 02 or Thinkmoney.

 

Im not making any more applications for 6 months at least. Also doing research on my credit file experian and equifax i see they have me listed as not being on the electoral role until May 2019 which is incorrect. I moved to my address in Jan 2017 - but for some reason my council did not place me on the electoral role until 2019. This is think is why some applications are saying i am giving incorrect information.

 

I have paid council tax since 2017 - but dont have paper copies of my council tax bills from 5 years ago. Can I challenge this information with the CRAs ? I dont think i wanna do it right now as it means yet more notices of correction etc but just curious ?

again thank you for your time in replying to my questions.

 

12 hours ago, fkofilee said:

Trust me, the banks will already know. From a standpoint of CIFAS Cat 2 and Cat 4 Markers, if anything was to happen, it would have happened by now. The one that really gets under their skins is a Cat 6 - Its like the worse one you can get. 

 

Thank you for the replies - and information. So yes I understand about cat 0/1 - they just slow down an application. after that are they varying levels of severity e.g cat 4 which my 2 were from are seen as "less" that say cat 6 ?

 

I did call Newday as I got a letter yesterday saying they had placed the cat 1 on my file for "My protection" I told them it was me who made the app - and got the person from the fraud team to confirm twice that they would remove the marker - he said they would within the next day or so. But it is still showing as "incoming" into my credit file on clear score even though it has not landed yet - do you think they do follow up on what they say ? and how long it would take ?

 

 

12 hours ago, fkofilee said:

 

--------------------------

0 Protective Registration -- Recorded at the request of the person named.
1 False Identity Fraud -- Use of a false name with an address.
2 Victim of Impersonation -- Use, by another person, of this name and/or address.
3 Application Fraud (Facility Granted) -- Use of name reasonably believed to be genuine, but with one or more material falsehoods in personal details or other relevant information -; the facility was granted.
4 Application Fraud (Facility Refused) -- Use of a name reasonably believed to be genuine, but with one or more material falsehoods in personal details or other relevant information -; the facility was refused.
5 Conversion -- Conversion (disposal or sale) of goods (to which the hirer/buyer does not have title) under a hire purchase, conditional sale, contract hire, leasing or rental agreement.
6 First Party Fraud -- Opening an account or other facility for a fraudulent purpose, or the fraudulent misuse of an account or facility.
7 Aiding & Abetting -- Aiding, abetting or assisting, or conspiring with, another or others to fraudulently procure credit, or other facilities, or hire products or services.
8 Insurance Claims Fraud -- The making of a claim(s) under one or more insurance policy (ies) with one or more material falsehoods or by presenting a false or forged document.

--------------------------

 

It will financially blacklist you for 6 years - Banks wont touch you, even with basic accounts. 

How do I know this, I have a Cat 4 myself that falls off later next year similar to you - Long history with a Mobile Op who shall not be named...

After about 3 years, companies tend to ignore them as they deem it less of a risk, its like aged defaults, they tend to be discarded after that period. 

I have a CC with Newday, I have multiple contracts with another Mobile Op. 2 x Bank Accounts with Challenger Banks (I hate the Mainstream)

 

So I am in a similar position to you. 

 

As for Paypal - They are not on the CIFAS Data Sharing List for the (NFD) National Fraud Database or the IFD (Internal Fraud Database) 

 

 

 

 

@dx100uk - Please can you keep the post quotes on this one as its quite complex due to the number of points raised

 

By the way - Cat 0 and Cat 1s last 13 months accordingly. They are designed to be protective, all other Cats are 6 years. 

 

 

TL;DR - Stop stressing - Its all good. Its for your good, likely a oversite on the mum passing and being financially linked to her. (If it hasnt cleared off) 

 

[fkofilee]

Stay away from thinkmoney - Get a bank account with a proper provider but dont do it now with the CIFAS Cat 1 Marker on there! 

You can challenge the CRA info sure, but see if you can get Council Tax stuff from the Council (They usually can give you a formal statement confirming the dates you started paying etc) 

Also dont worry about the Electoral Roll - You could be on there 2 years after you moved in because you only registered to vote during that time. 

 

Cat 2 / Cat 4 tend to be in the application stage, 

Cat 6 is when account is opened and the person uses it to defraud a company directly. It could be an existing customer who has been with them a long time who takes advantage of them. 

 

Remember CIFAS is all about the creditor believing they have enough evidence to prosecute someone if there was a criminal case, but the marker acts as like a punishment of sorts. 

 Dont forget CRA updates can take upto 8 weeks to fully update your view - It may take 5 days for it to filter through for full removal. 

 

The lessons from this experience -

 

- STOP APPLYING FOR CREDIT! 

- GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER WITH ALL INFORMATION 

- USE COMPLAINT PROCEDURES ETC

 

 

[plke788sy2]

Hi thank you for the reply and information.

 

The Cifas marker placed by Newday has now thankfully been removed as I confirmed it was me making the application to them and the note placed by equifax also gone.

 

I am just going to let things stay as they are.

No credit apps until September next year when my 2 Cat 4 markers drop off. I

 

will do another Sars next month to make sure nothing else was added. Its been a real eye opener - didnt even know I was on CIFAS until this month.

 

thanks for advise/ pointers given much appreciated.

[fkofilee]

Youre welcome - Glad I was able to put you at a little bit of rest  

May I ask that you make a donation to the site to help us with costs etc? We are a free resource but need have costs behinds the scenes to make this available to all.

 

 

[plke788sy2]

Sure pleasure to will do this when I get back home later today ) thanks

[dx100uk]

glad you are sorted 

 

dx