Cifas checks

Cifas is the UK's leading fraud prevention organisation, managing the largest database of instances of fraudulent conduct in the country. For members of this organisation, the available data on internal and consumer fraud cases is invaluble in securing businesses from risk through a series of Cifas checks.

Fraud is one of the most damaging, but least publicised forms of risk that organisations face today. Whether it's by deceit or malicious action by current or former staff, customers and suppliers, or the risk posed by someone fraudulently joining your staff under false pretenses, there are innumerable ways that fraud can threaten your business.

Many organisations in the UK will have been damaged or in some way compromised by fraud in the last six months, but rather than acting on it in a meaningful way or contributing to the fight against it, they choose instead to conceal it, "keep it in house" for fear of reputational or some other form of damage. This is short sighted, and frequently damaging to their peers, clients and suppliers in other organisations, as the fraudsters move on to their next victim.

This is why fraud checks are an essential part of any organisation's defence against this threat, protecting your own business as well as helping to prevent other organisations across the country from falling prey to serial fraudsters. Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention agency is key to conducting effective fraud checks, with hundreds of member organisations sharing data on cases of every type of fraud, their databases offer the largest and most comprehensive dataset of consumer and insider fraud in the UK, trusted by government bodies, financial institutions and industry leaders across the country as a primary line of defence against the threat of fraud.

We are uniquely placed to conduct Cifas checks through our fully integrated solution, providing an unmatched level of service to significantly help in preventing fraud and reducing risk.

Internal Fraud Database (IFD): Whilst many sectors have varying threat vectors and differing levels of exposure when it comes to fraud, there are some commonalities across all organisations - CVs can always be falsified, professional qualifications and educational achievements can be forged and adverse information in someone's criminal, financial or employment history can be concealed.

There is no shortage of cunning individuals and sophisticated networks of criminals ready to take advantage of gaps in security, governance and due diligence. Only by sharing information across all industries and capitalising on the decades of expertise in combatting fraud that Cifas offers can business effectively prevent new tactics and strategies of fraud from taking root.

Members of the Internal Fraud Database can conduct searches against it to ensure that their current or potential employees have not been linked to, investigated for or found guilty of cases of fraud by their employer. Members can also file cases of internal fraud they identify to ensure that other members are not harmed in future by an individual with a previous record of fraudulent activity.

This is why fraud checks are an essential part of any organisation's defence against this threat, protecting your own business as well as helping to prevent other organisations across the country from falling prey to serial fraudsters. Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention agency is key to conducting effective fraud checks, with hundreds of member organisations sharing data on cases of every type of fraud, their databases offer the largest and most comprehensive dataset of consumer and insider fraud in the UK, trusted by government bodies, financial institutions and industry leaders across the country as a primary line of defence against the threat of fraud.

The exacting standards of proof and stringent codes of practice that Cifas requires of IFD members are essential, as action taken on information contained in the database must be morally, ethically and legally unimpeachable. The security, accuracy, and lawfulness of the database allows members to act on the information presented to them in filed cases with complete confidence that they are not only protecting their business, but doing so in accordance with the highest standards of the law.

National Fraud Database (NFD): The National Fraud Database is Cifas’s member contributed repository of instances of consumer fraud in the UK. It is an invaluable intelligence sharing platform allowing organisations across multiple industries & sectors to assist each other in preventing serial fraudsters across the UK.

Those organisations eligible to be registered as members have obligation to contribute data to the NFD where they discover & are satisfied that a consumer has attempted or committed fraud against them but equally benefits them by allowing them to screen potential customers for a history of fraud reported by other member organisations.

2019 saw the highest volume of cases ever recorded to the National Fraud Database (NFD) – 364,643 cases, up 13% on last year, a rise of 43,001.

Identity fraud cases made up 61% of total cases recorded to the NFD, and additionally nearly a quarter of cases were in relation to misuse of facility.