What is Fraudscape 2026, what does it tell us about increasing fraud and are CIFAS markers still being wrongly applied?

We recently reported on how the UK Government published its Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029, which aims to set out how the UK Government will combat fraud against individuals and businesses over the period from 2026 to 2029.

We then examined the fraud strategy in more detail, noted some of the interesting highlights and then delved into the detail:

We shall now examine Fraudscape 2026 (the flagship intelligence report from CIFAS) and how, alongside the reported increases in fraud, we continue to encounter situations where a CIFAS marker has been wrongly applied and can potentially be removed.

What is the UK Government’s Fraud Strategy 2026 – 2029 and what does it tell us?

What is Fraudscape 2026?

According to CIFAS, Fraudscape provides a comprehensive assessment of fraud risk in the UK, drawing on data from CIFAS members filed to the National Fraud database and Insider Threat Database in the twelve months to December 2025.

What are the highlights?

According to Fraudscape 2026, fraud cases hit record highs as criminals adapt and scale, with the main headlines being as follows:

• More than 1,200 cases recorded;
• Identity fraud and account takeover drive the majority of harm;
• Artificial intelligence and international crime networks accelerate fraud.

What are some of the details?

CIFAS, the UK’s leading fraud protection service, has noted that more than 444,000 cases were recorded to the National Fraud Database in 2025 – the highest number in a single year and an increase of 6% from 2024.

Almost three quarters of reported cases were linked to identity fraud and facility takeover, highlighting how criminals are increasingly using stolen or compromised personal details as a gateway to causing further financial harm.

Criminals are also using technology (including AI) to enable convincing impressions, fake documents and create fake identities at increasing speed and scale.

In summary, identity fraud remains the most prevalent threat with over 242,000 identity fraud cases being filed.

However, there was also more than 206,000 misuse of facility cases recorded in 2025 – a 43% increase compared to 2024.

Finally, money muling remains a persistent and evolving threat, particularly across social media, with criminal recruitment tactics and lures including job scams, “business opportunities” and even overpaying sellers for items on online marketplaces.

CIFAS markers are still being wrongly applied – what can I do to try and challenge a wrong-imposed CIFAS marker?

Alongside the increased reports of fraud, we are being increasingly approached by individuals who feel that a financial institution has wrongly imposed a CIFAS marker in their name.

If you have always acted in full compliance with the relevant bank account’s Terms and Conditions and all other applicable legal rules and regulations, then you should have a good basis to challenge the bank’s decision to implement any CIFAS markers.

A strong challenge will often involve demonstrating through evidence that you have not breached the bank’s Terms and Conditions or any rules and regulations, and that all transactions were at all times done in full compliance will all applicable laws and regulations.

In a previous blog we examined what a CIFAS marker is and how to try and get it removed, and also what you can do if a CIFAS marker has been wrongly imposed.

We have also written about Challenging a crypto-related CIFAS Marker: what you can do.

Finally, we have recently achieved success in removing CIFAS markers:

Another CIFAS removal success – Gherson successfully removes CIFAS maker in our client’s name

NAVIGATING FINANCIAL INSTITUTION-RELATED CHALLENGES

What can I do to try and challenge a wrong decision to close my personal and/or bank account(s)?

In the meantime, we are increasingly being approached by individuals who have been “de-banked” in circumstances where they feel that they have always acted in full compliance with the relevant bank account’s Terms and Conditions and all other legal and applicable rules and regulations.

We have previously written about how other issues individuals may face, including account closures, are not limited to political figures in the UK, and affect many thousands of lawful individual and business customers every year.  These cases have exposed the difficult balance many financial institutions and their individual and business customers must navigate to gain and maintain access to basic banking services.

To assist those whose accounts have been closed, Gherson’s financial crime, investigations and regulatory team have previously written blogs titled:

• “Why has my bank account been closed?”
• “Why has my business bank account been closed?”
• “140,000 SMEs “de-banked” last year – why could I have been de-banked?”
• “What are the proposed new laws aimed at preventing de-banking?”
• “Why the proposed new laws to try and prevent de-banking to not go far enough”.
• “Am I entitled to a basic bank account in the UK?”
• “How to challenge crypto-related bank account closures”
• “De-banking and crypto – will the landscape be positively changed by the introduction of new rules for both?”

Adverse information on compliance databases

We also being increasingly approached by individuals who feel that incorrect and/or inaccurate data about them stored in compliance databases is having an adverse effect on their relationship with financial institutions and are facing subsequent issues, such as bank account closures or difficulties in opening a bank account.

We have also written a series of blogs on a basic overview of the main functions of compliance databases like World-Check and how you can correct information about yourself on such databases.

HOW GHERSON CAN ASSIST

Gherson’s regulatory, white-collar and investigations team are highly experienced in providing assistance on what you can do if your bank freezes or closes your account.  This includes assisting you in submitting a request under data protection legislation, otherwise known as a Data Subject Access Request, to ascertain what information banks and other financial institutions may be holding on you and their decision making, and then analysing the response and assisting with any appropriate challenge.

If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice.  Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position.  Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog.  For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson.  Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

©Gherson 2026