Credit report requested - alleged fraud showing up on it

hueygeorge

Evening all!
My friend and her husband have recently moved back to their respective parents in order to save for the associated costs of a mortgage - solicitors fees, surveys etc. Anyway, they had a mortgage agreed in principle and were told that they had passed the initial credit check. A few days ago their advisor rang to say that their application had been declined due to adverse credit, and they have since applied for their credit records both from Experian and Equifax. The husband's has come back showing that he has 3 CCJ's (due to expire in May) but that he has also been investigated by C.I.F.A.S. for fraud, and the name given is his brother's. My friend says that in her opinion the brother is a bit of a 'rogue' and the address given for him is her former address - although he has never llived with them.
Does anyone know what this means? Do is it mean that the brother has applied for credit using either my friends husbands name or address??
Why would someone else's name appear on your individual credit report? I think something dodgy is afoot but just don't know what!!
Help please!!

poorandindenial

Hi hueygeorge

They need to get this sorted, if the records do not relate to their personal record then they need to report this to the credit reference agencies ASAP. The agencies have a duty to have correct info. When they got the files they should have also got info about contacting the agencies to dispute information.

From what I have heard the credit reference agencies are pretty helpful about getting this sorted once you have reported it.

hueygeorge

Thanks poorandindenial
Its odd though don't you think? Especially with my friend thinking he's a bit 'dodgy'!! Apparently they've received letters for him before at their address so he's obviously been up to something. I'll tell her to get in touch with the agencies
Thanks!

fermi

In the first instance they need to query the CIFAS entry with the company who placed it there.

A CIFAS warning shouldn't prevent them obtaining credit, it simply tells the lender to be more careful when verifying their identity etc.

It's probably the CCJ's that resulted in the refusal.

From Experian:

How do I complain about a CIFAS warning?

In the first instance you should write to the CIFAS Member that placed the CIFAS warning on the fraud prevention agency file or who dealt with your application/proposal/claim or account/policy/service. Their name is supplied as part of your credit report and they are responsible for its accuracy. CIFAS Members operate their own internal complaints procedures and can either send you details of the procedure or advise you what to do.

If you and the CIFAS Member are unable to reach an agreement on your complaint, you should request a letter from the CIFAS Member confirming the complaint procedure is completed or exhausted. Sometimes this is known as a "Final Response Letter"". If you then decide you want to take your complaint further you may ask CIFAS to investigate your complaint. (CIFAS cannot become involved in a complaint until the 'Final Response Letter' has been issued.) CIFAS will contact the CIFAS member and review the details of your complaint. CIFAS does not have the power to recommend financial awards, but CIFAS will confirm whether the CIFAS member adhered to the correct procedures. For full details of the CIFAS complaints procedure please either visit the CIFAS website at www.cifas.org.uk or write to CIFAS and request a copy of the complaints procedure.

CIFAS Compliance Officer
4th Floor Central House
14, Upper Woburn Place
LONDON
WC1H 0NN


How does CIFAS protect me?

If your address has been misused by a fraudster, the CIFAS warning is designed to protect you. Only CIFAS Members are able to see CIFAS warnings and they are very careful to establish the validity of any application for a product or service made from the address. This may lead to a delay when applications from you are being processed, as the information you provide may need to be confirmed. However, this helps to prevent your address or other personal identification details being misused, and avoids the distress and inconvenience this would cause you.
Visit the CIFAS website at www.cifas.org.uk


How does CIFAS work?

CIFAS information is processed by fraud prevention agencies that may also independently provide separate credit referencing services to their clients. Contact details for these agencies can be found below.

When a CIFAS Member identifies a fraud, a warning is placed against the address or addresses linked to the application/proposal/claim or account/policy/service. The text of the warning says 'CIFAS - Do Not Reject - Refer for Validation'. The warning shows the name used on the application/proposal/claim or account/policy/service but this does not necessarily mean the person named is involved in the fraud, as fraudsters tend to use a variety of names, some false and some genuine. The CIFAS warning will appear on the fraud prevention agency record of any person who has a link with the address. Any CIFAS Member subsequently checking that address sees the CIFAS warning. The warning does not mean the address has been blacklisted. It means extra precautions should be taken to ensure the application or account that has prompted the check of the address is genuine and this protects the address from further misuse.

We are committed to doing all we can to prevent fraud. CIFAS helps to prevent thousands of frauds every month, and this helps to keep the price of goods and services down. Click here to visit the CIFAS web site at www.cifas.org.uk


How is CIFAS information used?

A CIFAS member that receives a CIFAS warning from the system when checking your application/proposal/claim or account/policy/service is not allowed to automatically refuse to supply the product or service to you because of the warning. They are required to make further enquiries to confirm your personal identification details before making a decision. If they identify a fraud, they will not normally process an application/proposal/claim or continue providing a service. However, there are occasions when, even though a CIFAS warning is present and your personal details have been properly confirmed, your application/proposal/claim or account/policy/service will not be approved. This is because your application is still subject to the Member's standard checks and decision-making policies and you may not meet them. You may ask the Member why they have declined your application, proposal or claim or closed your account or service. The Member will normally be able to tell you whether the decision was due to a credit score, data recorded at a credit reference agency or their own specific policies. They should advise you which credit reference and fraud prevention agencies they used when assessing your application.
To receive a copy of the data held about you from the fraud prevention agencies you should contact them directly. If you believe any of the data is incorrect, the details you receive from the agencies will explan how you can have it corrected. You may also be able to add a note to your report, which could help you if you approach other companies in future.
For more information about CIFAS, visit the CIFAS website at
www.cifas.org.uk

welshpaula

my BF was a victim of identity theft before it hit the headlines, in excess of 30,000 a few years ago ,he has a CIFAS marker on his credit account now with a password ,which should stop anyone getting instant credit in his name ,if he applies for anything it usually just takes a bit longer and they ring him for the password . its a very good idea and he hasnt been turned down by anyone for credit because of it paula x