The letter on Claire’s doormat thanked her warmly for opening her new credit card. Claire, a nurse from Preston, had never applied for one. She read it twice at the kitchen table, coffee going cold, wondering if the bank had simply muddled her up with somebody else. It hadn’t. Someone opened an account in her name, and the same thing happens to hundreds of thousands of UK adults every year. If it has just happened to you, the debt is not yours to pay, but the clean-up works best in a set order. Here it is.
Identity Fraud at a Glance
| What’s happened | Identity fraud — over 242,000 UK cases recorded in 2025 |
| First move | Contact the lender’s fraud team, then confirm everything in writing |
| Police report | Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or reportfraud.police.uk (Scotland: 101) |
| Check your file | Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — statutory reports are free |
| Free protection | Cifas Victim of Impersonation marker, lasts 13 months |
| Paid protection | Cifas Protective Registration, £30 for 2 years |
| Feeling shaken | Victim Support, 0808 168 9111, free and open 24/7 |
The Letter That Doesn’t Make Sense
Identity fraud rarely announces itself politely. It turns up as a welcome letter for a card you never ordered, a loan statement from a lender you’ve never heard of, a hard search you don’t recognise on your credit report, or a default notice for a balance you’ve never seen. Some people only find out when a debt collector writes, or when their own mortgage application is refused. Cifas, the UK’s fraud prevention service, recorded more than 242,000 identity fraud cases in 2025, over half of everything on its National Fraud Database. Your details usually leak through data breaches, stolen post or fake texts, which is why knowing how to report a scam text matters long before anything like this happens. The letter is not a mix-up. Treat it as evidence.
Check All Three Credit Reports Today
Before you phone anyone, find out how big the problem actually is. The UK has three credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and each holds slightly different information, so one fraudulent card can hide on a file you’ve never looked at. Every agency must give you a free statutory report for life, and free services such as MSE Credit Club, ClearScore and Credit Karma show the same data in a friendlier layout. Our guide explains exactly how to check your credit report for free at all three. Claire found the rogue card on one report plus 2 hard searches she didn’t recognise on another. Write down every account, search and unfamiliar address you spot, because each one needs reporting separately.
Put It in Writing to the Lender’s Fraud Team
Ring the lender that opened the account and ask for its fraud team, then repeat everything in writing and keep copies. Say clearly that the account was opened without your knowledge, and ask them to close it, investigate it as fraud and remove it from your credit file. The official Stop! Think Fraud guidance on GOV.UK says to tell the lender immediately, and FCA rules mean a firm should not chase you for the money while your case is being investigated. Change your passwords and PINs the same day, starting with email and banking. If you think you recently gave a scammer your bank details, tell your own bank too, even though the fraudulent account sits elsewhere.
Get Your Crime Reference Number
Next comes the police report, and it’s more useful than most victims expect. Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud in January 2026, takes reports online at reportfraud.police.uk around the clock, or by phone on 0300 123 2040, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101 instead. You’ll be given a crime reference number, and that reference number opens every other door: lenders quote it in their investigations, credit agencies attach it to disputes, and debt collectors tend to back off once they see it. We’ve covered how Report Fraud works and what happens next in detail. Claire’s report took about 20 minutes one evening, and she kept the reference taped inside a kitchen cupboard.
The Free Cifas Marker Most Victims Never Hear About
Here’s the protection almost nobody mentions at the counter. When a lender confirms you were impersonated, it can record a Victim of Impersonation marker against your details on the Cifas National Fraud Database. It costs you nothing, lasts 13 months, and tells every Cifas member that checks you out: do not reject, validate first. In practice, that means extra identity checks whenever anyone applies for credit using your name, which slams the door on repeat attempts. The marker is filed by the organisation rather than by you, so ask the fraud team directly whether they will record one. The Cifas Victim of Impersonation page explains how it works. Lenders can’t see it counted in your credit score, because it isn’t. It simply makes you harder to imitate.
Scrubbing Your Credit File Clean
Now for the file itself. Dispute every fraudulent entry with each agency that shows it, using their online forms and quoting your crime reference. The agency contacts the lender, and once the lender confirms fraud, the account, searches and any default come off your report. An agency has up to 28 days to respond to a dispute, though the whole clean-up can take several weeks, so chase politely if things stall. While it runs, you can add a notice of correction, a free statement of up to 200 words explaining you were a fraud victim, or a password lenders must check before granting credit. For a stronger lock while the dust settles, you can also freeze your credit file with some agencies. Claire’s was clean in about 6 weeks.
When Debt Collectors Chase Money You Never Borrowed
The nastiest moment is often a collection letter demanding a four-figure sum. Which? reported one victim chased for a £1,210 card debt and a £990 shopping account, both opened silently in his name years earlier, and both eventually wiped after he pushed back. The rule is simple: do not pay a penny, because paying can look like accepting the debt. Instead, dispute the debt in writing, state that you are a victim of identity fraud, include your crime reference number, and ask the collector to investigate and pause contact meanwhile. FCA rules require exactly that pause. Keep every letter and email. If the stress builds or the letters keep coming, National Debtline and StepChange offer free advice, and the Financial Ombudsman Service costs nothing to use.
Stolen Post and the Long Game
One last check catches a sneaky trick: mail redirection fraud, where a criminal redirects your post so statements and new cards arrive at their address. Royal Mail posts a security letter to your home, addressed to the occupier, whenever a redirection is set up, so if one arrives that you never requested, or your post suddenly dries up, contact Royal Mail at once and add it to your fraud report. For longer-term cover, Cifas Protective Registration costs £30 for 2 years and keeps the extra identity checks running after your free marker expires. Keep checking your reports monthly for a while, and check if your email was in a data breach so you know what criminals hold. If it’s all weighing on you, Victim Support is free on 0808 168 9111, day and night.
Where Claire Is Now
Three months on, Claire’s credit file is spotless, the card is closed, and the Cifas marker quietly checks anyone pretending to be her. When someone opened an account in her name, the fix wasn’t one dramatic phone call but a steady sequence: reports, writing, reference number, marker, disputes. None of it cost her more than a stamp. If a strange letter has landed on your doormat, don’t file it in a drawer and hope. Pull your free credit report this week and start the sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I liable for debt from an account opened in my name?
No. Fraudulent debt is not legally yours. Tell the lender in writing, report to Report Fraud, and FCA rules pause collection while it’s investigated.
Will identity fraud affect my credit score?
Fraudulent accounts, searches and defaults can drag your score down until removed. Cifas victim markers and notices of correction don’t affect your score at all.
How long does it take to remove a fraudulent account from my credit report?
Credit reference agencies have up to 28 days to respond to each dispute, and full removal often takes several weeks once the lender confirms the fraud.
How much does Cifas protection cost?
The Victim of Impersonation marker is free, filed by the lender, and lasts 13 months. Protective Registration, which you buy yourself, costs £30 for 2 years.
How do I report an account opened in my name to the police?
Use Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, open 24/7, or call 0300 123 2040 on weekdays. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland by calling 101.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not financial or legal advice. Processes, fees and contact details can change, so check Cifas, GOV.UK and your lender’s official pages. Figures correct as of September 2026.