What is aCredit Reference Agency?

These are companies licensed to operate by the Office of Fair Trading under the Consumer Credit Act. They make credit information data available to organisations who are either processing applications from consumers or managing their accounts.

CIFAS data is processed by a number of  fraud prevention agencies who provide fraud prevention services. Three of the Agencies participating in CIFAS also trade as credit reference agencies. They typically hold details of the electoral roll, details of county court judgments for debt, bankruptcy information, details of previous searches made by organisations against their databases and details of individual accounts held by the consumer, highlighting any late payments history.

They are:

Click here to return to the frequently asked questions page.