Guide section
Understanding Misuse of Facility markers
A Misuse of Facility (MOF) marker is the most commonly filed CIFAS marker type, with over 51,000 cases recorded annually. It means an organisation believes your own account or facility was used in suspicious or fraudulent activity.
Common triggers include receiving payments that the bank considers suspicious, account activity that matches known fraud patterns, and transactions flagged by automated monitoring systems.
Guide section
Common scenarios that lead to MOF markers
- Receiving and forwarding funds at someone else's request (money muling allegations)
- Account receiving proceeds of fraud from other victims' accounts
- Cryptocurrency-related transactions flagged as suspicious
- Payments to or from sanctioned or flagged entities
- Account activity patterns matching known fraud typologies
- Third-party use of your account without proper authority
Guide section
Why many MOF markers are challengeable
The CIFAS standard requires evidence of dishonesty, not just suspicious activity. Many MOF markers are filed based on automated system flags without investigating whether the account holder actually acted dishonestly. If you were deceived, coerced, vulnerable, or simply unaware that the activity was suspicious, the dishonesty standard may not be met.
Key legal point
The institution must demonstrate dishonesty, not just involvement. Being involved in suspicious transactions is not the same as acting dishonestly. This distinction is the foundation of most successful MOF challenges.
Guide section
How to challenge a Misuse of Facility marker
The most effective challenges address two questions: what evidence does the institution hold that establishes dishonesty, and what is the account holder's positive account of what actually happened?
Where the account holder received funds without knowing they were suspicious, or was deceived into moving funds, the challenge must build an evidence based narrative around that position. Denial alone is not enough. The challenge must engage with the institution's evidence and explain why it does not establish the conduct required by the CIFAS case type.
Our strategy
Our four stage removal strategy is built around MOF markers. We have challenged more than 500 CIFAS marker cases. Read about our approach on the removal strategy page.