CIFAS - evidence of conspiracy required

[Lovepeaceguru]

My own experience is that this organisation is a forum through which the financial services industry conspires to share unproven and defamatory information. By creating an "organisation" it seems that they place themselves above the law and believe that they can say whatever they want about an individual without any substantiation or proof.

In conjunction with a barrister colleague. I am interested to mount a campaign to expose CIFAS' methods. We believe that, given sufficient support and evidence, there is a possibility of class actions for criminal conspiracy, criminal libel and civil damages.

Crucial to these issues are the barriers which CIFAS and its member organisations place in the way of those who object to CIFAS entries on their credit files. My own experience is that they simply ignore correspondence and I need as much evidence as I can gather to show that this is their normal practice.

[yourbank]

Complaints process CIFAS
I dispute a CIFAS warning recorded in my name. How can I get it amended or removed? - CIFAS Online

It can also be taken to the ombudsman
Consumer Complaints - CIFAS Online

[Conniff]

I'm not sure I understand the original post especially this bit:

Crucial to these issues are the barriers which CIFAS and its member organisations place in the way of those who object to CIFAS entries on their credit files.

I have just had a read around the site, why would anyone object to a CIFAS entry, you pay and request to have this entry put onto your file, it is not put there by others forceably.
My objection to it is that it is first off a money making scam, £12 collected per year per request to have this mark on your file. In no way does it cost more than 10p to enter your name in their database and put a tick in a box when it appears.
Subsequent years require no action at all so it is 100% profit.

The second point (and most serious) is that the information supplied to have this 'mark' put onto your file (everything about you and your family including the colour of grandads underpants), will be given to debt recovery companies. I don't see how that has any affect on fraud prevention or identity theft.

The mark just tells the enquirer to do further checks on to establish the application for a loan etc is genuine, something they should be doing anyway.

If just 1,000,000 people sign up for this, that is an annual profit of £12 million pounds per year.

[Lovepeaceguru]

I think you misunderstand CIFAS. Yes, you can have a CIFAS warning put on your address if you believe that you may be the victim of identity theft but this is only one type of CIFAS warning and probably the least often used.

I have six, yes SIX, CIFAS warnings against me on my Experian and Equifax credit files from Virgin Media falsely stating (not alleging) that I gave "false or misleading information" in a credit application.

These are lies but are published without any substantiation or proof. I have written to Experian and Equifax but they just brush it aside and say there is nothing they can do. I have written twice to Virgin Media and they have simply ignored me, not even bothering to reply. I have written to CIFAS and they hace said they will get back to me in 14 days. Meanwhile, these false and clearly malicious reports remain on my file.

[Conniff]

I read a lot on the site but didn't see the bit where those signed up can also put markers.

In your case, I would Subject Access Request Virgin right away and then compare the info they are claiming is false or misleading with what your actually said.
I would do this irrespective of what CIFAS comes back with if they remove the offending marks or not.

Do you have a paper copy of your file with marks on there, if not perhaps you could get a copy of your file in case they disappear.

[classylady18]

I too have the same problem with CIFAS warnings - I have three identical ones which NatWest put onto my credit file with Experian in June last year. They all say that i gave false or misleading information, which i have never done!

I actually applied online for a step account in June 07 and recieved an account number and internet bank pin etc, then two days later i recieved a letter from NatWest saying my application was unsuccesful as i didnt meet their criteria, i was given Experians address and the usual crappy information leaflet. Next day i received a bank statement from Natwest saying account closed - i had the account for two days! I rang and questioned it but they couldnt find any record of me on ther system.

Anyway i didnt find out about the CIFAS warnings till June this year, i wrote to the address for NatWest on my credit file 8 weeks ago asking why they have put these warnings on and asked them to be removed - i've heard nothing back from them. Any idea what i should do next as i am positive this affects my chances of credit - i cant even open a basic bank account now!