What is a CIFAS marker?
A CIFAS marker is a record placed on the National Fraud Database, run by the fraud prevention agency Cifas, by a bank, lender or other member organisation that believes fraud or…
Guides in plain English.
Every guide cites the official source it relies on, shows when it was last checked, and says whether a qualified reviewer has signed it off.
Understanding CIFAS markers
What a CIFAS marker is, who can file one, what the different types mean and how long they last.
How long a CIFAS marker lasts
Cifas says a CIFAS marker can be held on its database for up to six years. Markers that protect you as a victim of identity fraud are held for 13 months from the date of submiss…
Checking for a marker
How to find out whether you have a marker, and who holds your data.
Checking for a CIFAS marker
To check whether you have a CIFAS marker, make a free data subject access request (DSAR) to Cifas online. You will need two proofs of identity and your address history for the l…
Challenging and removing a marker
Disputing a marker with the member that filed it, the Financial Ombudsman, the ICO and the courts.
Removing a CIFAS marker
A CIFAS marker is removed by the organisation that filed it, and only if it accepts, or is directed, that it should not have been filed. The usual route is a request for your da…
CIFAS marker removal cost
Cifas says it will never charge you to make a data subject access request (DSAR) or a complaint, and the Financial Ombudsman Service says its service is free. None of the offici…
Banking with a marker
Basic bank accounts, mortgages and credit while a marker is on your file.
Bank account with a marker
A CIFAS marker does not automatically bar you from a bank account, and no official list says which banks "accept" markers. Under the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, the nine…
Closed, frozen and de-banked accounts
Why banks close or freeze accounts, notice periods, and what you are entitled to.
De-banking explained
De-banking is the everyday term for a bank closing or refusing an account. For accounts opened on or after 28 April 2026, a provider must normally give at least 90 days' notice…
Bank account frozen
A frozen bank account is usually one of three things, and how long it lasts depends on which. It may be the bank's own block, a hold while the bank asks the National Crime Agenc…
Your rights and complaints
Data rights, subject access requests, complaints and compensation.
Ombudsman complaint
You can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) about a fraud marker once you have complained to the financial business that filed it and either received its final res…