Not sure if anyone has posted the website yet. I have edited the post as I have just discovered someone had posted the website link already (sorry).

The website is www.nhunter.co.uk & info on your rights to get your data is shown at Problems gaining credit. The information below and a picture of its alleged office is shown at

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/nov/15/national-hunter-credit-agency

It does not publicise its phone number or give an address beyond a PO box number belonging to a small office on a run-down street in Stoke-on-Trent.

Its name is unknown to the public. Yet it carries out around 100,000 credit checks every day, probing applications ranging from mortgages to car loans and store cards. Ask a bank or finance company why you've been rejected, and you will probably be told to contact one, or all, of the credit reference agencies - Callcredit, Equifax, and Experian - to see what they have on you. Send them £2 and you'll get a copy of your file by return. Now Guardian Money can reveal there's a fourth agency, called "National Hunter", whose approval - or otherwise - can make or break an application. But, unlike the others, you won't find out the information it holds on you for £2, or be invited to apply online to check your data. Instead, National Hunter charges £10, the maximum allowed under the Data Protection Act. Last year, 5m applications for credit were turned down across the industry, but how many were as a result of National Hunter is unknown. And, until now, the organisation's extremely low profile has meant that few individuals rejected for credit will have thought to check with National Hunter. It was set up by a group of banks in 1993, but is now co-owned by 60 banks, building societies and specialist lenders. Its official headquarters are in Stoke-on-Trent though little of what it does takes place in the building. Although it's owned by the banks, National Hunter is managed and operated on a day-to-day basis by Experian, the giant of the credit agencies, based in Nottingham.

It does not assess creditworthiness in the same way as the other agencies - its sole purpose is fraud prevention. It is one of the most important weapons used by lenders in the continuing battle against financial crime.

National Hunter will warn a lender if its checks suggest that an application is "suspect". In turn, the lender's computer may then turn down an application, without informing the applicant precisely why, or which database was checked. The vast majority of its rejections are likely to be for entirely legitimate reasons.

But quite how many files National Hunter holds on individuals is unknown. And what if the "suspect indication" arises because of human or computer error - or because you presented the lender with facts that it cannot easily check?

"Suspect" or "inconsistent" facts, which may cause applications to be flagged as fraud risks, can include:

· Change of employer over a short period;

· Differences in spelling of a surname, initial, or date of birth;

· Change in driving licence number or a variation in other identification documentation;

· The same mobile phone number from more than one applicant;

· A substantial change in stated salary over a short period;

· Income which is difficult or impossible to verify;

· Applicants using details that are apparently from a deceased person.

Barclaycard is a major user of National Hunter. "Every night, we send it almost all our card applications. Next morning, its computers send them back, either with OK or showing a potential fraud," a spokesperson says. "If it's the latter, then we might decide to contact the applicant, although that may depend on other factors."

Mortgage lenders that we spoke to said they use the standard Experian and Equifax systems first, then decide whether to lend. Only then do they contact National Hunter to check it is not potentially dishonest.

But while the system weeds out many possibly fraudulent applications, legitimate applicants could fall foul of a check for innocent reasons - you might have had a big salary increase, or simply handed over an old mobile to a member of your family. According to a recent National Hunter presentation, to be "inconsistent" there has to be "a clear discrepancy between information provided by the consumer and information found, or not able to be found or verified elsewhere".

So the information you provide could be true, but it will be treated as potentially fraudulent if National Hunter cannot find enough information to check what you say. But if you question the rejection, banks will generally send a standard letter pointing you to one or more of the three credit agencies.

You won't be told about National Hunter - although you have a right under the Data Protection Act to demand a "subject access request" requiring a company to reveal what it holds on you.

The difficulty is, very few know about National Hunter's existence, let alone what it does. Managing director Tracy Wingrove told Guardian Money: "Any member of the public who wishes to obtain details of information we hold about themselves as individuals can request them under Section 7 of the Data Protection Act."

But she agrees that "sometimes it is not that easy to know about us".

She adds: "Our members are required to include certain key elements within the declaration/fair processing notices section of their application forms. The wording should indicate that applicants can find out which fraud prevention agencies are used and the method by which they can find this out.

"Our members must ensure that this information is made readily available to the applicant and preferably by means of a dedicated telephone contact number. If you ask your bank, it has to tell you about our existence."

Wingrove says banks should not turn someone down simply on the basis of one of its alerts. "Our rules say members can't make automated decisions. We would be concerned if banks did that."

The information commissioner, responsible for data protection issues, has expressed "strong views" on rejecting applications on fraud suspicion grounds alone, realising that no database is 100% foolproof.

Firms involved with fighting fraud recognise there is a clash between those who believe visibility harms fraud prevention and those who believe better knowledge of what can happen to a false application is a deterrent to potential fraudsters.

Wingrove accepts that National Hunter could be more visible. "We are providing a service to cut back on fraud and on identity theft. But we are happy to take Guardian Money's comments and concerns on board, and to address the issue of our low profile. We are moving to reveal more of our decision making over the next few months."

• National Hunter's website is nhunter.co.uk. Its address is N Hunter Limited, PO Box 2756, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 9AQ. It has no telephone or email address for the public to use.

This info below is from www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Name & Registered Office:

N HUNTER LIMITED

100 BARBIROLLI SQUARE

MANCHESTER

M2 3AB

Company No. 04546325

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 26/09/2002

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: PRI/LTD BY GUAR/NSC (Private, limited by guarantee, no share capital)

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

7487 - Other business activities

Accounting Reference Date: 31/12

Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2008 (SMALL)

Next Accounts Due: 30/09/2010

Last Return Made Up To: 24/10/2008

Next Return Due: 21/11/2009

Previous Names:No previous name information has been recorded over the last 20 years.Branch Details There are no branches associated with this company.Oversea Company Info There are no Oversea Details associated with this company.

There we are its not so secret anymore

Hi all,

I requested a report from Hunter and got it back recently.

Ok so it recorded only info relating to 2 mortgage applications I made.

One was back in 2006 - and one was from this year. It just listed them with relevant info I had given them - i.e. employers details, phone numbers, previous address, etc. All of which are correct.

Though what puzzles me is i'm not quite sure what this all means - I have applied for several mortgages high street ones, adverse ones down the years, credit cards, loans from various companies which are more than likely to update to Hunter - so why have only these been specifically recorded and not the others? and what does this mean?

Any guidance/advice/ideas anyone?

Thanks

Ash

Not every creditor passes them data but if they do & any application info doesn't tie in with ,age address, job etc then you will be suspected of fraud & recorded as such

Anyone got any case law on damages for breach of data protection act, defamation or breach of contract relating to a default notice. The bank have removed this (two days prior to the final hearing!) put no defence in to any of the above claims and there is a hearing on 1st December now to determine solely the issue of amount of damages, costs to be awarded to me. They are quoting hadley and baxendale - remoteness (which is a load of rubbish as that applies to breach of contract only) but I'd really like some cases to do a skeleton argument prior to the hearing. Any quick replies would be appreciated. Thanks

bit if a necro...on what grounds they are operating ? is it law-full ?

deleted content

Anyone read Dan Browns Digital Fortress? Sound Familiar

From experian website:

Fraud prevention service launched in India

Experian has introduced its Hunter fraud prevention service to India, enabling local and international businesses to prevent costly application fraud.

Hunter provides for the early detection of potentially fraudulent applications and helps identify fraud rings. It is used by over 100 major institutions around the world.

Anyone any update on this, lots of posts and only 2 people have did a SAR and received their info -

1. No information

2. Some Mortgage Application Info.

I've heard no-one provide any information regarding negative information held by N Hunter Limited - Which, I feel is strange!

On reading this post and similar posts, I gathered the following;

If you want to fully understand your credit situation you need to SAR each of these companies;

Experian Limited - 0844 481 8000 £2

Equifax PLC - 0870 0100 583 £2

Call Credit Limited - 0870 060 1414 £2

Experian Decision Analytics (EDA Experian -also is MCL Software) 01704 501 001 £10

(MCL Software - T: 01704501001 F: 01704533003 i · [email protected] . http://www.mclsoftware.co.uk) £10

Synetics Solutions Limited 01782 664000 £10

N HUNTERLimited, PO Box 2756 Stoke-on-Trent ST6 9AQ - £10

N Hunter, MCL/EDA & Synetics require £10 including ID and address verification.

It seems that sending a simple SAR, including a copy of your passport omitting sensitive data, including signature and only bearing address, including an original bill omitting same details will be sufficient to get info form them, but more than so they will keep your £10 and say there is nothing on their systems.

CIFAS - please write to: CISAS, 6th Floor, Lynton House, 7-12 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT

What is also worth noting is that some directors of N Hunter are also Directors of other financial institutions, including debt collection agencies and IVA companies;

Fresh Money Solutions Limited (Fresh Money Limited) / Action Associates Ltd- http://www.freshmoneysolutions.net/page6.html

Bananas Limited (previously The Lending Company)

The Beacon Group of Companies Limited - http://www.beaconhomeloans.co.uk

Sure Money Limited (http://www.suremoney.swift-cash.com/index.php), part of Swift Cash UK Ltd (http://www.swiftcash.com/)

International Communication & Data Limited

Below are also companies owned by Experian

Scorex UK Limited - http://www.scorex.com,

QAS Limited - http://www.qas.co.uk/ ,

Techlightenment Limited - http://www.techlightenment.com/ , seems to be a branding and data capturing company

FN Services Limited - http://www.experian.co.uk/business-information/index.html -

Hitwise UK Limited - http://www.hitwise.com/uk -

Footfall Limited - http://www.footfall.com/

Tallyman Limited

It would be good to know if anyone has any update on the previous posts?