Credit ratings and addresses part 2

hedgehopper_2

I thought that some people may be interested to hear that I've now had a fairly clear (and pretty upsetting) answer to my question about whether activity at my address could be damaging my credit history last night and it turns out that it absolutely can. My source for this was...the police.

Without going into too much detail, the simple fact is that if someone has been involved with actual fraudulent activity at your address then their credit history can absolutely damage yours. This has now happened to me, and explains why I was turned down for credit while feeling 110% certain that this should not be happening.

If the chap from Experian is still reading, I'd really like to speak to you if possible. I've been advised to speak to them to get my address removed from the (apparently mythical) blacklist (the policeman actually used that word) and would like to know the best number to call. TIA.

It seems there is some misinformation on this topic out there so I thought it might be helpful to share my experience.

[Deleted User]

I suspect they are saying that if someone is carrying out fraudulent activity at your address at the time you live there. There really is no blacklist.

BugsyBrowne

ZX81 is correct there is no blacklist.

Hax

My understanding is that credit reports are for individuals and other people living at (or who have lived at) the same address have no bearing on your report unless you have a financial association with them such as a join bank account. If you have had this link made between yourself and the previous occupant then you need to ask the CRA to remove the link.

hedgehopper_2

I can't find any information on the CRA online for some reason. Can anyone please help me? I'm getting pretty frantic here. I do believe the police on this one and want this resolved asap. They pretty much just gave me that advice though, don't know what I actually need to do

Hax> somehow this has happened. Professional job I think.

izools

There's nothing "black market" or "professional job" about it.

It's very simple.

You have a CIFAS marker registered at the address.

Very common in fraud, doesn't have to be severe. And it doesn't stop the applicant getting credit - it just prompts lenders to require better verification - i.e. they may call your employer to verify you do work there and earn what you stated - they may ask for additional ID - they may look more closely at the electoral role history on your credit file to ensure your previous addresses tie in with what you entered on an application.

They won't arbitrarily decline you for having a CIFAS marker at the address alone - but the CIFAS marker may result in a decline as a result of you (personally) not passing the lenders more stringent anti-fraud verification measures.

Hax

hedgehopper wrote: »

I can't find any information on the CRA online for some reason.

CRA = Credit Reference Agency (Experian, Equifax and CallCredit)

hedgehopper_2

izools wrote: »

You have a CIFAS marker registered at the address.

They won't arbitrarily decline you for having a CIFAS marker at the address alone - but the CIFAS marker may result in a decline as a result of you (personally) not passing the lenders more stringent anti-fraud verification measures.

OK thanks, I am slowly trying to feel my way around this subject. I'm being quite jokey about it all in here as I tend to do, but I am actually sick with worry and don't really know what to do. Any other time I could probably have dealt with this but I'm already struggling to come to terms with the million other things that have gone wrong during this move. I just need to know what I have to do really and nobody will give me a clear answer. Who do I call? What will they want? How long will it take them to get this stupid thing permanently erased from our record? We will need to re-mortgage in two years time and I have heard this can cause problems

*sob*

[Deleted User]

Contact Experian, Equifax and CallCredit and request your credit report. See what is on there in terms of markers and who you are linked to.

If there is anything wrong, inform them (Equifax, Experian and Call Credit).

izools

There's nothing you can do about the CIFAS marker, if that's what it is; just accept the fact that a CIFAS marker is at your address and will prompt creditors to be more careful when verifying the validity of the information on application forms and your ID.

You should as zx81 rightly says get copies of your credit file from all three credit reference agencies - go through them with a fine tooth comb - you might find you are financially linked to a relative who has recently got into credit trouble, or have incorrect data being reported by one or more of your creditors.

It might not be a CIFAS marker atall and the police may have simply been portraying an assumption as gospel truth to you - it might simply be a matter of getting your credit file, noticing a mistake, calling the company concerned, and having them correct their data.

Good luck!

hedgehopper_2

izools wrote: »

There's nothing you can do about the CIFAS marker, if that's what it is; just accept the fact that a CIFAS marker is at your address and will prompt creditors to be more careful when verifying the validity of the information on application forms and your ID.

I cannot accept that at all. We've done nothing wrong. Why should we suffer that inconvenience?

I plan to take this as far as it can go, but don't know where to start.