Arabella Dulcie and Ben Hall recently assisted a client with the removal of a CIFAS fraud marker from their credit file. This marker was placed to protect our client from fraud, as the financial institution that registered the marker found that our client’s details had been used fraudulently by someone else to create a ‘false identity’.

This client however was not in the typical group of those with markers due to suspicion of fraud, but rather they were subject to a marker because their bank picked up that someone had (without consent) used their details to create a false identity. The marker was therefore registered for the client’s protection, but in practice they can cause all sorts of problems when an individual then applies for a loan, credit or insurance.

The client approached our London Business Crime team for assistance based on our previous experience of dealing with such matters. The team has, through extensive case experience, developed highly effective strategies to maximise the chance of removing adverse markers in a  cost-effective and speedy manner.

Arabella, having submitted a data subject access request to CIFAS, drafted an initial complaint to the financial service provider but it refused to remove the marker in their final response. In turn, she submitted a carefully drafted request to CIFAS to review the marker, enclosing supporting evidence to show that the client was not vulnerable and that the inconvenience of the marker outweighed the level of protection required. CIFAS responded to confirm that they had raised it with the client’s r provider, and the marker was subsequently removed.

Our client was thrilled with the result, which has allowed her to finally get on with her life.