What is a CIFAS marker?
A CIFAS marker is a record placed on the National Fraud Database, run by the fraud prevention agency Cifas, by a bank, lender or other member organisation that believes fraud or…
Bank account closed? Think you have a CIFAS marker? Start here.
Plain-English answers, every one tied to its source. What a fraud marker is, how to check for one, how to challenge it, and how to bank while it is on your file — plus the latest news and a neutral directory of solicitors who handle these cases.
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The questions people ask first
Checking for a CIFAS marker
To check whether you have a CIFAS marker, make a free data subject access request (DSAR) to Cifas online. You will need two proofs of identity and your address history for the l…
Removing a CIFAS marker
A CIFAS marker is removed by the organisation that filed it, and only if it accepts, or is directed, that it should not have been filed. The usual route is a request for your da…
Bank account with a marker
A CIFAS marker does not automatically bar you from a bank account, and no official list says which banks "accept" markers. Under the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, the nine…
De-banking explained
De-banking is the everyday term for a bank closing or refusing an account. For accounts opened on or after 28 April 2026, a provider must normally give at least 90 days' notice…
Ombudsman complaint
You can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) about a fraud marker once you have complained to the financial business that filed it and either received its final res…
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Quick answers
The short version
What is a CIFAS marker?
A record on the National Fraud Database, filed by a bank, lender or other Cifas member that believes fraud or financial crime was committed or attempted. [Read the guide](/guides/what-is-a-cifas-marker/).
How do I check if I have one?
Make a free data subject access request to Cifas online. [How to check](/guides/how-to-check-if-you-have-a-cifas-marker/).
How long does a marker last?
Cifas says a marker can be held for up to six years.
Latest news
Closed, frozen and de-banked accounts
FCA: firms closed 238,396 suspected money mule accounts in 2025
The FCA reports that a survey of 35 financial firms found 238,396 accounts closed as suspected money mule accounts in 2025, compared with 233,269 in 2024 and 184,935 in 2023. It says closures were highest among customers aged 26 to 39, with the sharpest rise among those aged 40 to 49, and that criminals typically cash out between the second and fifth account in a chain of transfers. The FCA says it is working with industry on an action plan to improve how firms and law enforcement share intelligence on suspected mule activity.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority ↗Closed, frozen and de-banked accounts
Magistrates' court extends an account freezing order in NCA v Football Association Premier League
A District Judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court granted the NCA's application to extend an account freezing order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 by four months, to 15 January 2027, the two-year maximum. The judge held that the test is reasonable grounds to suspect the money is recoverable property, and that there is no separate requirement to show the account should stay frozen while its source is investigated. The order had earlier been reduced by consent from about 16.3 million pounds to about 10.0 million pounds after the NCA accepted the removed funds were not recoverable property.
Source: Judiciary of England and Wales (Westminster Magistrates' Court) ↗Understanding CIFAS markers
Companies House joins Cifas' National Fraud Database
Cifas says Companies House has become a member of the National Fraud Database, the shared fraud-risk database run by Cifas. Cifas says the membership will help Companies House spot suspicious activity around company registrations earlier and act faster where a company appears linked to fraud. It links the move to the wider powers Companies House gained under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, including verifying the identity of directors.
Source: Cifas ↗Understanding CIFAS markers
Cifas: record 220,000 fraud-risk cases filed in the first half of 2026
Cifas says more than 220,000 fraud-risk cases were recorded to the National Fraud Database between January and June 2026, the highest total it has recorded for that period, with identity fraud making up 59%. It reports nearly 13,000 money mule recordings, a 70% rise on the same period of 2025, and says mules now make up 30% of misuse of facility cases. Cifas says 57% of mule cases involve people under 30.
Source: Cifas ↗Your rights and complaints
Financial Ombudsman: current accounts the most complained-about product, driven by fraud and scams
The Financial Ombudsman Service says it received 53,600 new complaints between April and June 2026, broadly level with the previous quarter and down from 68,000 a year earlier. Current accounts were the top complaint area with 8,900 cases, mostly about fraud and scams. It also reports that 26% of cases overall were upheld and that complainants used professional representatives in about 10% of cases.
Source: Financial Ombudsman Service ↗From specialist firms
CIFAS vs SIRA marker: what is the difference? ↗
Compares the two databases, including who controls each and where a challenge is directed, and notes a person can have both types of marker at once, each needing its own challenge.
What is the difference between a restraint order and an account freezing order? ↗
Explains that restraint orders can cover all of a person's assets while account freezing orders target named accounts for up to two years, that both are often made without notice, and that variation or discharge may be sought.
Reputation, Misinformation And Limits Of De-Banking Reform ↗
Argues that banks often close accounts on unverified compliance-database or press information and give little explanation. Reports the April 2025 HM Treasury announcement of 90 days’ notice and a clear reason, and says basic accounts are limited, notably not available to businesses. Written mainly for high-profile clients.
CIFAS Markers Explained: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions ↗
Explains why a CIFAS marker may be recorded, how long different marker types last, and the steps for challenging one: a subject access request, contacting the organisation that filed it, then escalating to Cifas or the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Cifas Markers - The Reality Check ↗
The firm’s view on appealing Cifas markers: complain to the filing organisation, then Cifas, then the Ombudsman or, in limited cases, the Business Banking Resolution Service. It says the Ombudsman cannot consider many such cases, for example business accounts, and lists consequences such as debanking and credit refusal.