Dear James,
Someone stole my purse with my driving licence in it - how can I put a note on my file about new credit?
Simone, Billingshurst
Dear Simone,
There are actually a few things you can do to warn lenders about your stolen driving licence and to ask them to take extra care with new credit applications as a result. The first is to add your own note to your Experian credit report to explain what has happened. You must obtain your credit report before you can do this and if you haven’t done so already, you can get a free report when you register for a 30-day free trial of CreditExpert, our online service. Alternatively, you can order a one-off printed, statutory report for £2. Once you have your report, simply get back in touch quoting your report reference number and tell us the wording you’d like us to add to your report. There is no charge for adding a note to your credit report. You can also arrange for a CIFAS warning to be added to your reports at all three credit reference agencies by registering for a Protective Registration. Most lenders are members of CIFAS so this warning will help make sure credit applications processed through any of the credit reference agencies are treated with extra caution. You can download the Protective Registration form here and the fee for this service is £12 plus VAT. Considering your circumstances it would probably be sensible for you to keep an eye on your credit report for signs of fraud, but if you follow my advice above it’s very unlikely someone would be able to use your driving licence and the details on it to successfully get credit in your name.
James