CIFAS have me down as a fraudulent customer?

drew323232

Hi Moneysavinexpert.
Was turned down by a bank and told to get a DSART from CIFAS. 
TSB have me marked down as fraudulent from 2007, and HSBC last year, both for making an application but "not disclosing another address with adverse credit." I was going to contest direct with them as this is not right, but from what I have read, they will no longer show up on credit reports in a few months time as these fraud markers only shows up for the first 12 months? Anyone know? 
Also been advised to check with some organisation called National Hunter? Does anyone know about this company?
Thank you.

[Deleted User]

Hunter monitors discrepancies in applications.

If the markers are not accurate, you need to contest them.  They'll last a lot longer than 12 months.

Fighter1986

They last six years. It's only protective registration and victim of impersonation CIFAS markers which show on your credit report and last 13 months.

All others don't appear on your credit report but are visible to lenders who use CIFAS, and have a six year expiry.

I'm unsure why a TSB marker would show 13 years later? What was the date showing as they sent the data to CIFAS?

I've just found out that HSBC did the same to me four years ago.

Send a formal complaint to their head office address, FAO: DATA CONTROLLER and request the data be expunged.

Include an excerpt of your CIFAS report showing them the data and why you believe it to be incorrect. 

Give them 28 days to comply, after which you're entitled to use CIFAS' mediation process and escalate the matter to the ICO.

I've just sent my letter to HSBC today, so we'll see. Good luck, it'll be interesting to see how you get on. Keep us updated. I'll do the same  

drew323232

I meant 2017 lol.

Fighter1986

Write to both of their head office addresses as explained, and please to let us know how you get on. I'll keep this thread updated too when I hear back from the firms concerned. 

I can understand why they may have felt I was withholding addresses, I had moved around a lot back then; but upon explaining the situation I hope they'll understand that I haven't committed fraud and will remove the markers.

I've had many accounts approved, opened, and subsequently closed a couple of days later over the last few years; I'm glad I finally understand why.

Good luck with your situation  

Fighter1986

Update: another firm have already investigated my complaint and refused to remove the CIFAS marker.

They've also stated that it is their full and final response.

They've said I'm entitled to escalate the matter to the FOS / ICO if I wish.

TBH, I'm really just tired of all this. The CIFAS marker should disappear in January 2022 and TBH I've no need to open any new accounts before then anyway. I could fight it but is it really worth the time invested? 

Frankly I'm done with all this crap. I think I should just get on with my life and let time heal this. 

[Deleted User]

If you had a CIFAS fraud marker last year from HSBC (as per your original post) that will show until 2025, that means nothing more than a basic bank account until then, and a need to rebuild a credit record after that before you could get a mortgage etc. 

CIFAS will remove a marker if it has been wrongly applied (eg they got the wrong person), otherwise it is down to the institution which asked for it to be issued to remove it. You said that it was down to you failing to declare an address, if you did fail to declare an address then the application of the CIFAS tag would be correct, which means that they will not remove it. 

It is quite a brutal system, but also very effective. I had identity fraud committed against me several years ago and the protective CIFAS tag that was applied whilst a bit of a pain in the behind did stop any credit being taken out against me without it actually being me.

MinuteNoodles

Fighter1986 said:

TBH, I'm really just tired of all this. The CIFAS marker should disappear in January 2022 and TBH I've no need to open any new accounts before then anyway. I could fight it but is it really worth the time invested? 

The thing is it isn't just bank accounts, credit card and loan applications. It can affect anything offering you credit such as insurance companies if you want to pay car insurance on monthly payments, utilities (gas or electric), telephone providers both mobile and fixed landline.

Fighter1986

@MadMattUK

I never said HSBC placed a marker last year. They were applied in November 2015 and January 2016.

I'm well aware of what this precludes.

I'm also well aware that technically the marker is correct hence I'm going to spend the next year and a half or so focusing on more important things like my engineering degree, my work for the NHS, and my Phys with my military chums, while OH and I continue to save towards our house purchase.

@MinuteNoodles

Thank you. I am well aware of all this. I have a perfectly good relationship with Virgin Media, Three, Monzo,  Nationwide, Hastings and Churchill (my car and the car I share with OH) which I'm quite happy to maintain exactly as they are for the next 20 months. 

In summary, lesson learned, life goes on 🙂

eskbanker

Fighter1986 said:

@MadMattUK

I never said HSBC placed a marker last year. They were applied in November 2015 and January 2016.

I'm well aware of what this precludes.

I'm also well aware that technically the marker is correct....

I think you'll find that @MadMattUK was actually responding to OP rather than you!  Granted, a bit of quoting or tagging makes things easier to follow when two separate stories are being discussed....

Fighter1986

Apologies. I don't envy OPs position at all and whish him luck with HSBC and TSB