What is first party fraud?

A first party fraud marker means an organisation believes you personally committed fraud, rather than being a victim of someone else. This is distinct from third party fraud (where someone else used your identity) and facility takeover (where someone else accessed your account).

First party fraud markers are the most serious type because they allege that you — not someone else — were the fraudster. This makes the complaint approach different from cases where you can argue you were the victim.

Common first party fraud allegations

• Misrepresenting income or employment on applications
• Claiming goods or services were not received when they were
• Filing insurance claims for events that did not occur
• Providing false identity documents
• Deliberately allowing your account to be used for fraud

How to challenge first party fraud markers

Even when the institution alleges first party fraud, the burden of proof remains on them. They must demonstrate that you acted dishonestly and that their evidence meets the CIFAS filing standard. Common successful challenges include demonstrating that information was actually accurate, that a third party was responsible, that the institution misinterpreted the evidence, or that the marker is disproportionate to the circumstances.