Mortgage Brokers ListCifas markers and mortgages
Cifas is the fraud-prevention database most UK lenders check. A marker there can stop a mortgage even when your credit file is clean. Most people don't know they're on it.
Last checked 13 September 2026.
What Cifas is, and why lenders check it
Cifas is a non-profit fraud-prevention service. Its member organisations — most UK banks, lenders, insurers and mobile networks — both submit and check fraud data through it. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will normally check Cifas in addition to a credit reference agency. Under FCA rules the lender must tell you in advance that it will check a database (MCOB 11A.3.2G) and, if a rejection is based on that check, tell you the result and name the database (MCOB 11A.3.3R).
Types of Cifas marker and how long they stay
| Marker | Placed when | Stays on file |
|---|---|---|
| Application fraud | A lender believes an application contained false information | Up to 6 years |
| First-party fraud | A lender believes the account holder acted fraudulently | Up to 6 years |
| Misuse of facility | An account was used fraudulently after opening (e.g. deliberate default) | Up to 6 years |
| Victim of impersonation | Someone applied in your name without your consent | 13 months |
| Victim of takeover | Your existing account was taken over by a fraudster | 13 months |
| Protective Registration | You asked Cifas to flag your identity as high-risk (paid service) | 2 years, renewable |
Durations from Cifas.org.uk, checked 13 September 2026. All markers are visible to Cifas members when they check.
How to find out if you have a marker
Cifas doesn't automatically tell you when a member files a marker in your name. To see what's held, submit a Data Subject Access Request to Cifas at cifas.org.uk/dsar. It's free under UK GDPR Article 15, and Cifas has one calendar month to respond (ICO).
The response tells you which markers exist, who filed each one, and when. The organisation that filed the marker keeps the underlying evidence — Cifas is only the register.
Challenging a marker
If you disagree with a marker, contact the organisation that filed it — not Cifas — and give them your evidence. That firm decides whether to keep, amend or remove it. If they refuse and you think the decision is wrong, complain in writing; if unresolved after eight weeks, take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office if you believe the data is inaccurate.
Applying for a mortgage while a marker is live
A live victim marker doesn't usually block a mortgage, but it can slow the process because lenders check identity more carefully. A live fraud marker generally does block mainstream lenders, and options narrow to specialist lenders through a broker who arranges these cases — see our declined guide and how to choose a broker.
Don't apply widely in the hope one lender doesn't check Cifas: they nearly all do, and each application leaves a hard search on your credit file. Deal with the marker first.
Brokers whose website mentions bad or adverse credit
280 firms in our directory mention bad or adverse credit on their own website. That's what they say about themselves, not an assessment by us, so check that a firm handles your situation and look it up on the FCA Register before taking advice.
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- Should you use the estate agent's recommended broker?
- Documents for a mortgage application
- What happens at a mortgage fact-find
- New build mortgages
General information, not advice. Mortgage Brokers List is a directory and a set of free tools. Only an FCA-authorised adviser can recommend a mortgage for your circumstances. See our editorial standards.