UK consumers that fall victim to identity theft will now need to contact just one credit referencing agency - rather than three - to restore their credit records.
The UK's main credit referencing firms - CallCredit, Equifax and Experian - have agreed to notify each other when they restore the record of someone who has been hit by ID theft.
Consumers can now call the Victims of Fraud service to correct their credit record. Previously ID theft victims had to contact all three agencies.
The launch of the joint service follows calls from the UK's National Consumers Council (NCC) (NCC) for firms to provide more support for ID theft victims.
All three agencies will now work simultaneously to case-manage the restoration of the credit file, which will involve each providing the victim with their credit report, contacting banks where there has been fraudulent activity and providing an on-going update of progress on the case.
The new service significantly reduces the number of telephone calls that need to be made and time taken to resolve issues caused by identity theft, says the NCC.
Anna Fielder, senior policy advisor for the NCC, says the joined-up approach taken by the three agencies is a welcome step forward: "It simplifies the whole process of sorting out the mess left behind by fraudsters and helps victims get their finances back on track."