CIFAS on credit file

Dsmithchez

Hope someone can help me with this issue.....

I have tried to open a basic bank account with Natwest and was turned down as didn't meet their criteria and this was strange as I was a home owner worked full time and a credit rating of 677 and while I had a CCJ from 5 years ago this was what the account was for, those with poor credit.

I then tried HSBC and got the same thing then nationwide Yorkshire Bank basically every high street bank wouldn't even give me basic bank facilities.

I got my credit file up and couldn't see any fraud warnings ext so i for a Subject access request from CIFAS and found Halifax my old bank had placed a CIFAS marker on my file.

when I asked them why they said it was because I didn't manage my account well with them. This confused me as I said i have not used my account at all with them as it was closed in 2013 when I moved to Santander after they closed my account for making 3 complaints within 4 months. Which they said yes but the marker will mean you can't open an account with Halifax again, i said I can't open an account anywhere now and asked them to remove it but they refused.

I have made a formal complaint as Im not happy at all that the bank has made it so I can't get any account all because I complained to them and they wanted to stop me applying for an account with them again.

I have now taken the complaint to the ombudsman but can a bank just do this as I think it is very unfair.

YorkshireBoy

What's the CIFAS category number?

JGUK

If what you've said is accurate then Halifax have placed that marker totally incorrectly.

Is there more to the story than what you're telling us ? As per what YB asked, can you tell us more about the category and the data they have supplied to CIFAS.

I think the Ombudsman would be happy to get involved in this one if the facts are as they are. You can't be put on a CIFAS register for making complaints about a bank.

GingerBob_3

JGUK wrote: »

If what you've said is accurate then Halifax have placed that marker totally incorrectly.

Is there more to the story than what you're telling us ? As per what YB asked, can you tell us more about the category and the data they have supplied to CIFAS.

I think the Ombudsman would be happy to get involved in this one if the facts are as they are. You can't be put on a CIFAS register for making complaints about a bank.

"Shouldn't" would be more accurate here.

Ed-1

Dsmithchez wrote: »

I got my credit file up and couldn't see any fraud warnings ext so i for a Subject access request from CIFAS and found Halifax my old bank had placed a CIFAS marker on my file.

So the CIFAS entry isn't on your credit file is it? So the title of this thread is wrong. If it was on your credit file it would be signalling that you have either been the victim of fraud or have protective registration. Instead it is signalling that you have been the perpetrator of fraud.

Dsmithchez wrote: »

when I asked them why they said it was because I didn't manage my account well with them.

From the 'don't meet criteria' lines being spouted from other banks it sounds like this is a category 6 'first party fraud' misuse of banking facilities CIFAS entry. 'Didn't manage account well with us' would be consistent with fraud on your account and this would be why they closed it, not because of complaints.

However Lloyds Banking Group are very trigger happy with CIFAS and don't really seem to care less.

JGUK

Ed-1 wrote: »

From the 'don't meet criteria' lines being spouted from other banks it sounds like this is a category 6 'first party fraud' misuse of banking facilities CIFAS entry. 'Didn't manage account well with us' would be consistent with fraud on your account and this would be why they closed it, not because of complaints.

However Lloyds Banking Group are very trigger happy with CIFAS and don't really seem to care less.

I'm reasonably sure that if they put that marker on the OPs file for the reasons he has stated it will be removed if either someone higher up in the bank gets involved or the Ombudsman gets involved.

OP, have you invoked any sort of complaints procedure with your bank ?

Dsmithchez

Thanks for the help, Halifax put the marker on as the account was reopened and they discovered it wasn't myself so closed the account again.

They say the marker was put on to protect me as they couldn't contact me about it they had no way of letting me know it was only by chance that I was switching banks that I had so much difficulty that I questioned it and did a Subject access request to CIFAS.

They are going to remove the marker and have asked that I voluntary register my self to protect my self from fraud.

Because they couldn't truly confirm that the other person who opened a Halifax account in my name wasn't me at the time that's why it was put as a category 3 marker it was only till I provided proof I didn't live at the address the account was opened in that they agreed to remove the marker.