A Cifas Entry (sometimes referred to as a Cifas Marker) on your Credit Report is a potential fraud warning, visible to prospective lenders to make them aware that you may be vulnerable to fraudulent attempts to take out credit in your name.

How do I check if I have any Cifas Entries?

You can check for Cifas Entry fraud warnings being reported by the Credit Reference Agencies by checking your Credit Report. checkmyfile makes this process quick and easy, by collating your complete information from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion onto a single, easy-to-use platform. You can check your Multi Agency Credit Report free for 30 days, then just £14.99 a month, which you can easily cancel online anytime.

Having a Cifas Entry means that any application for credit or other financial services from the address may be subject to further checks to validate the details given and to confirm the identity of the applicant.

Once your details have been confirmed, and the lender is happy that you are who you say you are, you should be able to proceed with your application as normal.

Although these Cifas Entries will not harm your chances of being accepted, your application may be subject to delays, as it will need to be manually assessed, rather than automatically processed.

You may see the two following Cifas Case Types appearing as entries on your Credit Report:

Protective Registration, which you have to request yourself and is a paid service

Victim of Impersonation, which is filed by a lender for your own protection if you have been the victim of identity fraud.

If you purchase Protective Registration, this will remain on your credit report for two years and must be renewed at the end of that period if you want to keep it on your report. A Victim of Impersonation entry will remain visible on your report for 13 months from the date of entry.

How do I remove a Cifas Entry?

If you believe that a lender is incorrectly lodging a Cifas Entry against your address, you should contact the lender directly to dispute the entry. If the Victim of Impersonation entry appears on your Credit Report, the reporting lender will also be recorded. It is worth remembering that these markers are there to protect you, and if you have been a victim of fraud, or an attempt has been made, these are in place to safeguard you and prevent it from happening again.

Does a Cifas Entry affect my Credit Score?

Having a Cifas Entry on your Credit Report will not have any effect on your Credit Score and it won’t stop you from being able to take out credit. Cifas markers are there solely to protect you.