Protective Registration and Similar Services
Protective registration flags your identity as at risk, so organizations take extra care with applications in your name. How Cifas protective registration works in the UK and what similar options exist elsewhere.
If you know your identity is at risk, perhaps after a stolen wallet, a data breach or an account opened in your name, you can ask organizations to take extra care with applications in your name. In the UK this is called protective registration. Other countries have their own versions.
How protective registration works in the UK
- Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention service, offers protective registration for a fee.
- A warning flag is placed against your name and address in its database.
- Member organizations that check the database, such as banks and lenders, will carry out extra checks when an application is made in your name.
- This can mean asking you for more proof of identity, so your own applications may take a little longer.
Similar protections elsewhere
| Where | Similar option |
|---|---|
| United States | Fraud alerts and credit freezes with the credit bureaus. See credit freezes explained. |
| Other countries | Ask your national credit bureau, central bank or banking association about fraud flags, and tell your bank directly. |
When it is worth it
- Your passport, ID card or driving licence was stolen.
- You sent ID documents to a scammer.
- Someone has already opened an account in your name. See account opened in my name.
- A breach exposed your ID number and date of birth. See leaked ID numbers.
Sign up only through the official service. Fake "identity protection" offers by email or phone are common after breaches.
Combine it with
- Regular credit record checks. See checking your credit record.
- Strong passwords and two-step verification on financial accounts.
- Watching your post and statements.
Received an identity protection offer out of the blue? Paste it into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check.
For the full process, see how to respond to identity fraud in our complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cifas protective registration?
A paid UK service that places a warning flag against your name and address in the Cifas database. Participating organizations then carry out extra checks when an application is made in your name.
Will it slow down my own applications?
It can, because organizations may ask for extra proof of identity. That is the protection working.
Is there something similar outside the UK?
In the United States, fraud alerts and credit freezes play a similar role. Elsewhere, ask your national credit bureau or banking association what fraud flags are available.
Sources
- Protective Registration, Cifas (UK)
- Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts, US Federal Trade Commission
- What To Know About Identity Theft, US Federal Trade Commission
