CIFAS Registered - now no credit cards approved at all

benoit

It's supposed to be notifyling lenders that someone used your name & address to apply for credit - it's not saying that it was you who did it, just means that if you apply for credit legitimately the lender will have to carry out further checks with you personally because your name & address was used fraudulently.

INT1

If the Cat 1 is at your address then the loading has been done wrong and should be amended by the CIFAS member.

benoit

unidentified wrote: »

This I understand, what I don't get though is I don't think all lending agencies understand it.

They do if they are members of CIFAS, which most of the biggest lenders are. I wonder if you are misinterpretating what CIFAS actually means to any lender who sees a flag on your account. You seem to have the idea they will think you were a perpretrator rather than a victim & if you were the fraudster that would be listed on a seperate part of your credit record under the Fraud section anyway, so they would know if you had committed fraud or just been the victim.

INT1

In any CIFAS case there are typically 2 categories we add.
In your case I would be putting a:
Cat 2 (to protect your identity and would include on the loading your name and address
cat 1 to notify other institutions that the address that holds the Cat 1 has been used as an address in a fraudulent manner.

The only reason a Cat 1 and 2 would be at your current address is if a family member was impersonating you etc.

Please contact the company involved and ask how the information is on the loading. If they are being tiresome about it then simply ask for a subject access request (normall £10) and this should show all the information they have.

Alternatively write to:
CIFAS
The compliance officer
6th Floor, Lynton House
7-12 Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9LT

You used to be able to see the CIFAS info on your credit file but has since been hidden (only CIFAS members can see the info.

INT1

Contact shop direct and ask them then what grounds they have to place a Cat 1 marker at your address?!
How have they approved fraud at your address, you just seem to be having a very poor time with it all and have never come across anything like this.

As they are CIFAS members they are regulated by rules set out by CIFAS, in this instance I would direct any further query to that CIFAS address I prev mentioned.

udydudy

The only way you can get CIFAS removed I believe by xperience is to threaten the lender to take them to court!! OH had a ID fraud in her name or should I say his!! though after 16 years of marriage I am sure she is female!!

Basically there was an application done with her first name, surname, date of birth but with the title as Mr. So the application was by a male for Vanquis Card, Shop Direct, Next, Red something. The rest is history..

Since I am paranoid I check our file everey couple of months. Luckily I had the free credit report for a month in her name at that time. So on Sunday night I see a credit check by Vanquis on her name but with " Mr".

We call up vanquis and find out that an credit card has been applied for "Mr Firstname Surname" on Saturday morning, approved same day, balance transfer done monday morning. So my OH owes £495 but they will not talk to her as she is not "HE".....aint that funny.... but no that does not end it, I called acted as the "he" that applied and they still refuse to talk as now they say "she" called so applicant cannot be "he"...

After few threatening letters they put a CIFAS 1 and 2 on both our names!! Voile Vodafone refuse a pay monthly contract. Despite 6 years of having 4-5 monthly vodafone contract in my name all settled satisfactorily, no late payments even by few mintues...

Reason attributed..Having checked my file they found somthing which mad ethem refuse and I should check my credit file.. they would not budge despite giving previous account references.

That made me go ballistic and called Vanquis and they reiterated their right and legal requirement to safegaurd me by writing to CIFAs. but then we sent a single threateneing letter to Vanquis basically stating that we will see them in court if they do not withdraw all searches, account details, default details and CIFAS records as the applicant was a "HE" and they could not by our right note these details on "HER" credit file.

Voila... that did the trick after 3 months all records disappeared including CIFAS.... and suddenly Vodafone seemed to see me as good credit..

Ofcourse I must say Shop direct, next and red something did the correct thing and withdrew the searches immediately and though they did not remove the accounts they marked it settled without any default or late payment markers.

Made me think is a Vanquis insider impicitly involved in fraud??? especially as their fraud department was just not interested in talking or discussing anything. tried fobbing us off and also sending us threateneing letters thinking we would pay and forget as the amount was just £495.

Felt like suing the lot for harrasment and distress but could not be bothered... all this took a good 67 months of our time and if we were to take it any further teh courts would most probably let them off with a slap on their wrists and cost us hrd earned money and time!! The banks would anyway spend us tax payers money like they are currently doing!!

unidentified

Now that is quite a horror story udydudy.

I do believe though by reading the circumstances it maybe wasn't registered at the same level as I'm referring to above though, although it could have been as 1 - False ID Fraud?



The CIFAS categories are:

0 Protective Registration – Recorded at request of the person named or to protect the identity of a deceased person

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) - An application/proposal for any facility with one or more material falsehoods in the information provided - the facility was granted

4 Application Fraud (Facility Refused) - An application/proposal for any facility with one or more material falsehoods in the information provided - 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, hire or other facilities, or other product or service

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

izools

unidentified wrote: »

On a previous recent application, the lender was demanding original documentation as proof. Sadly I'm not prepared to send original documents through the post so as it was at a stalemate I just cancelled the whole thing before going any proceeding further and having them then reject me.

That's the whole point of registering with CIFAS - to protect you from impersonation - by prompting lenders to perform extended identity checks.

If you refuse to comply with those identity checks, that you wanted to happen in the first place to protect yourself from impersonation - it may ring bells with the lender and prompt them to leave another cifas marker for attempted impersonation or the like. Not to mention biting off your nose to spite your face!

How else would they be sure enough that it's you applying and not someone else? Further identity checks means just that - checking your identity more thoroughly than otherwise... *sigh*

izools

unidentified wrote: »

They aren't going to pay me if such documents go missing and then where am I left?

Claiming on the insurance that you got by sending the documents special delivery, of course!

izools

unidentified wrote: »

Of course, but that doesn't help if I am stopped by police and can't produce my license within the required 14 days - I'd end having to get a solicitor, then end up in court and then be worse off than I even began and in financial difficulty since I wouldn't be able to pay the legal fees - and all because of $%($*£$ CIFAS!

Oh if only I could get a hold my hands around their necks...

And yes, as you can see, my cynicism really is off the scale, but I like to think ahead!

Nothing wrong with a bitter cynic! I consider myself to be the very same in certain aspects...

...Royal Mail offer "Consequential Damage" insurance for a small additional fee which enables you to claim for fees incurred in any action you have to take resultant from the loss of mail - i.e. court, solicitors, etc.

I see your point though, if I were in your position I would be miffed that I ever agreed to protective registration in the first place given the potential problems.

What can you say other than live and learn...