Cifas is the UK’s leading not-for-profit fraud prevention service.
It’s important to understand that Cifas is not a Credit Reference Agency (CRA) like Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Cifas does not calculate credit scores or hold the same breadth of financial data as CRAs.
Its primary mission is to detect and prevent fraud and financial crime across the UK by securely sharing verified information among its member organisations.
How does Cifas work?
Cifas manages the National Fraud Database. This is a secure, shared database that its members use to exchange information about confirmed fraudulent activity. Members include banks, lenders (like Updraft), insurers, and other financial organisations.
When a member detects fraud, they can record relevant details in the database to alert other members. This collective approach helps protect consumers and financial institutions from ongoing or repeat fraud attempts.
What is a Cifas marker?
If a Cifas member has evidence that fraudulent activity has taken place, they can place a 'Cifas marker' or 'warning' against an individual's details (name, address, etc.) in the National Fraud Database.
What it does: A marker acts as a red flag to all other Cifas members, warning them of a potential fraud risk.
How long it lasts: Most Cifas markers remain on the database for up to six years.
The effect: When you apply for a product or service with a Cifas member, they will check the database as part of their fraud prevention checks. If a marker is present, your application will be subjected to extra, more rigorous identity and verification checks. In some cases, an application from someone with a fraud marker may be declined.
Different types of Cifas markers
There are several types of markers, but for consumers, the two most relevant categories are:
Markers placed by lenders: These are recorded when a lender has reasonable evidence that an individual has provided false or misleading information or that a fraudulent act occured (this is often called 'First-Party Fraud').
Protective registration (placed by you): This is a voluntary service that allows you to proactively protect yourself from fraud.
If you believe you are at risk of identity fraud (for example, you've lost your passport or been part of a data breach), you can pay a small fee to Cifas to place a protective marker on your own file. This means lenders must carry out extra identity checks whenever an application is made in your name.
How Does This Relate to Updraft?
As a responsible, regulated lender, Updraft is a member of Cifas. This means we check the National Fraud Database as part of our application process to protect our business and our customers from fraud. It also means we have a duty to report confirmed fraudulent activity to the database to help protect the wider financial system.
Can I see if I have a Cifas marker?
Yes. You have the legal right to find out if any Cifas markers are recorded against your name.
Cifas, like Credit Reference Agencies, must provide this information under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
How to check if you have a Cifas marker
You can request a copy of your personal information - including any active Cifas markers - directly from Cifas.
This is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).
To do this:
Visit the official Cifas website at www.cifas.org.uk/contact-us/subject-access-request.
Complete their online request form.
Provide proof of your identity (for example, a copy of your driving licence or passport and a recent utility bill).
Cifas will send you a report showing:
Whether any markers are recorded against your details.
The type of marker and the organisation that placed it
The date it was added and when it is due to expire.
You will usually receive this information within 30 calendar days.
What to do if you believe a marker is incorrect
If you find a marker you believe is inaccurate or unfair, you have the right to challenge it.
You must contact the organisation that placed the marker (not Cifas itself) to raise your dispute.
That organisation is responsible for reviewing the evidence and deciding whether the marker should remain or be removed.
If you are unhappy with their response, you can escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), depending on the nature of the issue.
Will a Cifas marker affect my credit score?
No, not directly - but it can still influence your ability to get credit.
A Cifas marker and your credit score are two completely separate things.
Credit scores are calculated by Credit Reference Agencies (like TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian) using data about how you manage credit accounts. Cifas, on the other hand, is a fraud prevention service that does not calculate scores or assess creditworthiness.
How it can still affect you
Even though a Cifas marker doesn’t lower your score, it can affect how lenders interpret your applications:
When a lender performs fraud checks during your application, they may see the marker and carry out additional verification steps.
In some cases, a lender may decline an application purely based on the presence of a marker, even if your credit score itself is strong.
If you’ve added a Protective Registration marker yourself (to guard against identity theft), this won’t harm your score but will slow down future applications as lenders will take extra steps to confirm your identity.