Crimestoppers launches campaign to fight ID fraud in the run up to Christmas

Crime fighting charity Crimestoppers is today launching a campaign to tackle identity fraud and is encouraging the UK public to pass on information about identity crime anonymously [12 December 2011]

A survey conducted in the autumn shows the UK economy loses an estimated £2.7 billion per year due to identity fraud which affects 1.8 million people annually . Identity fraud covers a range of widespread criminal activities with many organised groups being known to supply or use false or stolen genuine personal identities.

With such a large volume of personal data currently available online, organised criminals are able to steal as well as trade stolen identities in high volume. Fraud is increasing in general , and with more people using the internet and entering their details online over Christmas, Crimestoppers want to raise awareness and encourage people to pass on information anonymously.

The internet is a key hub of identity crime activity, allowing criminals to exploit opportunities for identity theft with access to victims’ data through various portals including social networking sites. Crimestoppers is providing information on how to safe guard yourself online and ensure that you take steps to avoid being a victim.

Many websites offer a range of false products and services including fake birth certificates, driving licences, passports, National Insurance cards and utility bills. Crimestoppers is urging the public to share details anonymously of any false identity websites through the charity.

New research commissioned by Crimestoppers founder Lord Ashcroft found the public feel most at risk from fraud and identity theft over other crimes including violent crime and burglary. Nearly half of those questioned stated that an attempt to defraud themselves or a member of their family has been made in the last three years. Of those who were victims to fraud, 52% had their credit card details stolen to make unauthorised purchases.

Criminals use false identities to protect themselves from law enforcement bodies, often using genuine documents to abuse systems with details such as National Insurance numbers to apply for things such as Income Tax and Child Benefits.

A report by SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) shows criminals are increasingly using identities of specific communities to set up bank accounts and to register with Government and other services as they are unlikely to trigger risk profiles. This impersonation allows criminals to obtain mortgages and payment cards, open or hijack bank accounts and order and collect victims’ payments from Money Service Businesses.

Police case studies include Operation Hornblende, an operation involving an ID factory in Barnet that was run by Albanian and Algerian nationals. Police seized a large number of specialist printing equipment, over 1200 blank European passports, over 100 genuine EU passports, more than 200 blank National Insurance cards, counterfeit EU driving licences and EU immigration stamps. The hard drive documents and total paper documents confiscated exceeded 10,000.

Of the many fraudulent uses of the documents, five members of an organised criminal group (OCG) circumnavigated the immigration system using details of beneficiaries who did not have permanent status in the UK. Between them they ordered over 200 counterfeit UK driving licences with beneficiaries’ personal details, accompanied by an image of an individual in the OCG. They then produced the licence to sit the Knowledge of London test and were paid for each test they sat; successful completion provided the individual with indefinite leave to remain in the UK and allowed them to receive genuine UK documents. This left them free to open bank accounts, monetary benefits from local councils and Government departments. More case examples can be found our Crimestoppers Fraud Website.

Crimestoppers is appealing to the public to take more care with their personal details online as the UK Fraud Prevention research shows us that UK citizens are not being cautious enough.

A quarter of us are still not taking simple yet key precautions such as shredding bills and bank statements before putting them in the bin. Only 57% of those surveyed verify emails or calls from organisations before responding.

Crimestoppers founder, Lord Ashcroft, said:  

“ID fraud is an enabler to a variety of criminal activity including money laundering, benefit fraud, immigration crimes and human trafficking. This crime is of serious concern to the public which is why we are aiming as a charity to increase the information we receive on those producing, supplying or using false or stolen genuine personal identities.

Crimestoppers wants to raise awareness around this crime in order to encourage the public to change behaviour. We urgently need information on those using, producing and supplying fake identities, false document factory locations, urls of false identity websites and details on anyone within UK organisations who are helping to enable ID theft.

By contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via our online Giving Information Form with information about fraud, no one will know who you are and you will not have to go to court. In doing this you will be making it tougher for calculating individuals to no longer exploit innocent members of the public.”

For further information please contact our press office.

Notes to editors

• Crimestoppers is an independent charity which helps the police to solve crimes, making communities safer. It does this by operating the 24/7 telephone number 0800 555 111 which people can ring to pass on information about crimes anonymously. They can also use our ‘Giving Information Form’ via our website on: www.crimestoppers-uk.org
• Around 23 people are arrested and charged every day as a result of information given to Crimestoppers.
• Since Crimestoppers began in 1988, it has received over a million actionable calls, resulting in over 108,000 arrests and charges. Over £115 million worth of goods has been recovered and over £213 million worth of drugs has been seized.
• In 2005, Crimestoppers launched the UK’s Most Wanted on its website which allows the public to view images of criminals and pass on vital information about their whereabouts. It has been highly successful with over 1,000 arrests to date.
• Crimestoppers UK was founded by Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, Chairman of Trustees, who in 1988 launched Crimestoppers in the Metropolitan Police area. Crimestoppers’ ‘call to action’ is built on a three-way partnership between the business community, the police and the media.
• UK Fraud Prevention research was commissioned by Fellowes and carried out by Dynamic Markets Limited.  For this report, quantitative research was carried out with 2002 Great British adults aged 18+ as part of an online consumer omnibus survey. Fieldwork took place between 16th and 18th September 2011. During the omnibus research process, questions are posed to consumers and data is collected until various pre-defined sampling quotas are reached. The sample is then demographically weighted to make it representative of the GB population aged 18+ to overcome any sampling deficiencies and / or Internet bias.
• Advice and tips on how to keep yourself safe can be found on the Crimestoppers website and by visiting Get Safe Online.
• The Crimestoppers survey commissioned by Lord Ashcroft involved interviews with 2,045 adults between 2-5 September 2011. The data has been weighted to be representative of all adults in Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted by Populus.
• - When asked to rank different kinds of fraud according to their scale, nearly a third of respondents (31%) thought that welfare fraud accumulated the most money, a quarter (25%) thought identity fraud and 22% chose tax fraud. 11% chose investment fraud and 10% insurance fraud.