Need a fake identity? It'll cost £2!

A key component of any pre-employment screening, vetting or background checking programme is to verify the identity of the person being screened otherwise the resulting investigations will be meaningless.  To further emphasise the point it was reported by Gill Insley in the Observer in May 2010 how Michael Lynch, an identity theft expert for CPP, took half an hour to apply for a national identity card, a provisional motorcycle licence, an international driving licence and a European works permit.  Michael went on to say "If you type 'fake identity cards' into Google it will come up with thousands of results, with some offering cards for as little as £2 each. You can apply for cards using whatever information you want – details of real people are freely available on the internet through social networking websites like Facebook and Linkin.”

It was further reported that CIFAS – a not-for-profit fraud prevention service – said there has been 27,000 identity fraud victims (a 20% increase) in identity fraud in the first three months of 2010.  Fraudsters are making more use of the victim's current address, which because it is genuine, is more difficult to detect.  In reality it is very difficult to be 100% safe, this makes it even more important to check the credentials of individuals at source to ensure that they are genuine.  Web sites such as www.identitytheft.org.uk and www.getsafeonline.org offer many tips on reducing the risks.

Richard Connelly, head of screening at Agenda Security Services said “The growth in the number of realistic fake documents, stolen documents and novelty documents and qualifications mean that it is more important than ever to be vigilant.  We always check documents at source and take nothing at face value. The risks of employing somebody who is here illegally, has a fake qualifications or is hiding behind an assumed identity is too great and organisations must take all necessary steps at the start of the process rather than facing avoidable large fines, damage to the organisations reputation or theft and fraud issues.”

If you have any questions or concerns following this article please contact info@agend-secruity.co.uk.

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