--- title: "Cifas markers on your credit report" description: "Only two Cifas markers appear on credit reports, and neither affects your score or your eligibility for credit. Both prompt lenders to run extra identity…" canonical: "https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/guides/cifas-markers-explained/" topic: "Fraud and notices" published: 2026-08-25 updated: 2026-08-25 author: "Harry Austin" publisher: "Total Credit Check (Piomes Ltd)" --- # Cifas markers on your credit report A marker with the word "fraud" attached to it sounds like bad news. In almost every case it means the opposite — that something is protecting you. **The short version:** only two Cifas markers appear on credit reports, and neither affects your score or your eligibility for credit. Both prompt lenders to run extra identity checks, which slows applications down slightly. There are other Cifas case types, but you can't see those on your report. ## What Cifas is [Cifas](https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/glossary/#cifas) — the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System — is a not-for-profit fraud prevention membership organisation. It runs the National Fraud Database and shares it with member organisations. Two of its markers show on credit reports; the rest don't. ## Victim of Impersonation A [Victim of Impersonation](https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/glossary/#victim-of-impersonation) marker is placed by Cifas after a lender reports fraud. A lender may file one if they've received an application they believe to be fraudulent, or if you've reported an incident of fraud to them. It protects you from further identity fraud attempts, because lenders take extra steps to verify you when an application arrives in your details. It has **no impact on your credit score**. An application may take slightly longer to process, but you can be confident you're protected while it does. You'll usually know you have one — a letter normally arrives explaining why it was necessary. **A note on duration.** Sources give different answers here: some say 13 months, others that it stays for as long as the filing lender considers necessary. If the exact date matters to you, ask the lender who filed it. ## Protective Registration A [Protective Registration](https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/glossary/#protective-registration) is the one you ask for yourself. If you feel at risk of identity fraud, you can buy one directly from Cifas. It costs **£30 and lasts two years**. It's a sensible step if you've been the victim of a crime in which personal documents were stolen. Cifas adds a marker to your credit report, which appears in the fraud alerts section. Any Cifas member receiving a credit application in your details then has to do extra checks to confirm it's really you. Like Victim of Impersonation, it doesn't affect your score. You'll just want to allow a little extra time when applying for credit. ## What lenders actually see Neither marker affects your eligibility for a credit product. That's the reassurance worth holding onto. What a lender sees alongside your credit report is: Cifas – Do Not Reject – Validation Required The instruction is explicit. It prompts additional verification, not rejection. Both markers show at all three main [credit reference agencies](https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/glossary/#credit-reference-agencies). ## The markers you can't see Cifas holds several other case types. They don't appear on your credit report, and you generally won't know you have one until a lender tells you. - **[First-party fraud](https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/articles/first-party-fraud-explained/)** — a consumer hasn't paid for something and had no intention of paying. - **Insurance claims fraud** — false information given when making a claim. - **Facility takeover** — an account taken over and used for unauthorised transactions. - **[Application fraud](https://totalcreditcheck.co.uk/help-centre/glossary/#application-fraud)** — an application made using false information, such as income. - **Asset conversion** — selling something you don't own, such as a leased car. - **Misuse of facility** — an account opened, accessed or used for fraudulent activity. These can last up to six years. To find out what Cifas holds about you, submit a Data Subject Access Request. ## Finding out why you have one Two routes. **Contact the lender who filed it.** They can tell you more about the fraudulent attempt. Their details show on your credit report alongside the Victim of Impersonation entry. **Submit a DSAR to Cifas.** A Data Subject Access Request is free, and Cifas must respond within one calendar month. This is the only way to see the markers that don't appear on your report. ## Getting one removed **Victim of Impersonation.** Contact the lender who filed it and ask whether they can take it off. Since the marker is there to protect you, it's worth being sure you want it gone. **Protective Registration.** You applied for it, so you can end it. Tell Cifas you no longer need the protection and they should remove it. ## The key things to remember - Only two Cifas markers appear on credit reports; neither affects your score. - Lenders are told "Do Not Reject – Validation Required", not to decline you. - Protective Registration costs £30 and lasts two years. - Victim of Impersonation is filed by a lender, usually after you or they reported fraud. - Other Cifas case types exist, last up to six years, and are invisible on your report. - A free DSAR to Cifas is the only way to see what they hold.