Category Archives: CheckMEND

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Over 650 bicycles now registered onto Immobilise by cycle shops in Hull

Humberside Police and cycle shops across Hull are continuing to work together with more than 650 new cycles registered onto www.immobilise.com by stores since the end of May 2014.

Cycle shops across Hull assist customers with registering their newly purchased or repaired cycles for free onto the property registration site at point of purchase. Once they have completed the registration forms with customers in store, Humberside Police Community Safety Volunteers then set up the on-line accounts.
Once registered with an account the owners are then encouraged to add further property onto their personal immobilise account.
www.immobilise.com is a FREE web based property recording system, endorsed and searchable by all UK Police Forces. This is a fantastic tool, used by police across the UK. It allows members of the public to register property details of cycles, mobile phones and other electricals on-line for FREE, which then assists police in returning items to their rightful owners and helps bring offenders to justice.
In addition to Police searching for stolen property, registered second hand dealers and mobile phone recyclers frequently access the data and are assisting in the fight against the market in stolen goods.
If a member of the public was to buy a secondhand item they could also check it for a small cost on www.checkmend.com/uk/, prior to purchase.
To date the following thirteen stores have completed this service for their customers in Hull:
  • Bob’s Bikes, Beverley Road.
  • Cliff Pratt Cycles, Spring Bank.
  • Doug Scott Cycles, Beverley Road.
  • East Coast Bicycles, Princess Avenue.
  • Freetown Sports, Prospect Street.
  • Halfords, St Andrews Quay.
  • Ken Ellerker Cycles, Chanterlands Avenue.
  • Jobes Cycles, Anlaby Road.
  • Jobes Cycles, Holderness Road.
  • Motor World, Hessle Road.
  • Richardson’s Cycles, Marfleet Lane.
  • Star Bikes, Willerby Road.
  • Steve’s Cycles, Chanterlands Avenue.
As part of continued support for tackling cycle crime, East Coast Cycles on Princes Avenue, Hull are holding a cycle marking event for bike owners on Saturday 19 July 2014 between 1000hrs and 1700hrs.
The local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be assisting in cycle marking cycles in a gazebo at the front of the store and with refreshments provided by the store.
Chris Hardy, Hull’s Second Hand Dealers Officer said: “Cycle stores have been quick to embrace the opportunity to support the police in tackling cycle crime. The fact over 650 new cycles have been registered in just over six weeks is an excellent up take. I hope by increasing cycles registered on-line we can reduce cycle thefts in the city, with thieves reluctant to take property which is identifiable and thus can lead to prosecution for stealing or even handling stolen property.
“People really should consider using the website “CheckMEND” to check any second-hand cycle, or indeed any item with a unique serial number, they are looking to purchase. Humberside Police are uploading the serial / frame number of all items reported to us as stolen, onto the database and the use of CheckMEND checks protects members of the public from inadvertently buying stolen goods”.

For more information please visit:

Read the source store in full: www.humberside.police.uk/newsmedia/hull-over-650-cycles-registered-onto-wwwimmobilisecom-by-cycle-shops

The Immobilise Property Register: www.immoblise.com

Consumer electronics background history reports: www.checkMEND.com/uk/

The Humberside Police website: www.humberside.police.uk

 

CheckMEND, Crime, eBay, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police

CheckMEND helps Police return phone after it is spotted on eBay

The Metropolitan Police have reported that a mobile phone that was recorded as being stolen in Croydon has been returned to its owner after police managed to track it down when the phone was sold on eBay.

The victim, a 32 year-old woman, reported to police that her phone had been stolen in Croydon town centre on Monday, 10 March. Initial enquiries failed to identify any suspects, as the shop’s CCTV had not recorded the incident.

However, police received an alert via their NMPR system that the phone’s IMEI number had been checked by somebody using the CheckMEND service – a service that allows people to see if a phone has been reported stolen or been blocked.

Through further enquiries, officers managed to identify that the phone had been put up for sale on the auction website within hours of if being reported stolen. Officers eventually identified the seller and on Thursday 17 April a 29-year-old woman was subsequently interviewed by police. She claimed to have found the phone in the town centre and decided to sell it on. She provided officers with the details of the person to whom she had sold the phone, and after further enquiries, the police were able to retrieve the phone from the buyer and return it to the owner on 17 April.

The 29-year-old woman was cautioned for the offence of theft by finding.

PC Robert Sidney from the Broad Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team, who investigated the case said:

This case highlights two important points. Firstly, if you’re buying a phone second-hand or over the Internet, then it is definitely worth checking to see if it has been reported stolen. You can do this through the CheckMEND website and whilst there is a small fee, it could save you a lot of money later on.

Secondly, whether you find a phone or any other expensive item or gadget in the street, then you could be committing an offence by simply keeping it. You should contact police or attend a police station to hand it in. If it doesn’t get claimed by the owner then it will be given to the finder, but if you just keep it then you could be committing a criminal offence.

To view the source stories please see:

MET Police: met.police.uk/News/Stolen-phone-returned-to-owner-by-police

Croydon Guardian: croydonguardian.co.uk/news/

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero

Lancashire police launch CheckMEND safe seller scheme

SafeSeller-scheme-poster-lancashireA new scheme aimed at preventing stolen goods being sold by second-hand shops was launched in Preston at the start of April.

The online CheckMEND service allows shops to search the National Mobile Property Register and other sources when purchasing items to find out if the item has been reported as lost or stolen. If this proves to be the case, the Police can then work to reunite the property with its’ rightful owner as well as taking the appropriate measures against whoever has tried to sell on lost or stolen property for their own financial gain.

In addition, second-hand shops in the area also receive regular alerts about items that have been reported as lost or stolen from across the county via Lancashire Police’s In The Know messaging system. Shops taking part in the scheme can be identified by the distinctive posters on display in their windows proclaiming them as a Safe Seller.

This scheme has been set up in conjunction with Preston City Council’s Licensing team, who along with the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC) has funded the purchase of transaction books to help shops when they are purchasing items.

CheckMEND’s ‘Safe Seller’ scheme is established in other towns and cities nationwide, and has already had some success with several arrests being made and numerous items of property being recovered and returned to their owners, including a mobile phone which was stolen during a burglary in Scotland.

PCSO Stephen Connelly said;

The CheckMEND system has already been proved in other areas of the country, and really does help to ensure shops are not selling on stolen goods and putting money into the hands of criminals.

Therefore, I would encourage Preston’s second-hand shops to sign up to the scheme, and our residents to vote with their feet and use the second-hand shops in Preston signed up to the Safe Seller scheme, so we can make Preston’s shops the most trusted in the area and ones which criminals cannot use to benefit from their illegal activities.

Councillor Robert Boswell, Preston City Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said;

This new CheckMEND scheme is a great way for people to buy with confidence and be reassured that the products they are buying are legitimate and not stolen.

We would ask all traders in Preston that sell second hand goods to sign up to the scheme so that both they and their customers do not become victims of crime by unwittingly selling on stolen goods.

CheckMEND is successfully run in other parts of the country and we are pleased that people in Preston are now able to buy goods more safely as a result of the scheme.

Neil Stewart from Recipero, the provider of the CheckMEND system, said;

CheckMEND is used by thousands of businesses throughout the UK, helping them avoid criminality and the costs associated with it.

Recipero has always worked closely with police to address mobile phone crime and the CheckMEND Safe Seller Scheme is a key part of our commitment to tackle this ongoing issue.

For more information please see:

Lancashire Police: www.lancashire.police.uk

CheckMEND: www.checkmend.com 

The Police NMPR: www.thenmpr.com 

 

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Recipero

Recipero launches CheckMEND Charter to cut cell phone crime

Recipero, the global experts in device-led data and analytics solutions, today have announced the launch of the CheckMEND Charter.

The CheckMEND Charter was created as a means of establishing an industry-led set of best practices to prevent trading of stolen consumer electronics. In addition to protecting consumers and helping to avoid confusion and frustration, Charter participants pledge to actively help law enforcement agencies combat theft and fraud related to consumer electronics.

Several of the US’s biggest consumer electronics retail, reCommerce and recycling companies are already operating in accordance with its principles, including the leading trade-in site Gazelle.

Gazelle was the first US consumer electronics trade-in site to deploy CheckMEND and continue to demonstrate their commitment to the consumer and industry through their involvement with the Charter and its creation.

Israel Ganot, CEO, Gazelle.

“When we first entered into a partnership with Recipero to leverage the CheckMEND tool, our goal was quite simple: to prevent thieves from benefiting from stolen consumer electronics, the new CheckMEND Charter takes this a step further, not only ensuring that Gazelle will never pay a consumer for a device that has been reported as lost or stolen, but to also ensure law enforcement agencies can more effectively combat consumer electronic device theft.

The CheckMEND Charter is a voluntary scheme, open to trade users of CheckMEND who agree to abide by its principles. In support of the Charter and its members, Recipero’s experienced CheckMEND team act as a trusted third party to help troubleshoot any issues that consumers may encounter with devices that are rejected.

Mark Harman, CEO of Recipero, commented:

“The adoption of the US Charter is something we have been working toward for several months. Our experience of the implementation of similar schemes in the UK has demonstrated that voluntary codes of practice such as this Charter have a measurable impact on mobile device related crime, results that we believe can be replicated in the US.”

More details on the requirements for Charter members is available online: www.checkmend.com/us/charter.

CheckMEND is delivered online in real-time and is a cutting-edge analytics tool used to more accurately detect lost and stolen consumer electronics. The database is the most complete listing of devices available, comprised of data from major wireless carriers and law enforcement entities globally.

The CheckMEND service assists everyone from eBay users to mega retailers and recyclers like Gazelle to avoid lost, blocked and stolen devices.

 

About Recipero

Recipero (www.recipero.com) is trusted by thousands of clients and data providers to securely aggregate, analyze and interrogate data. Forming part of millions of decision making processes and transactions every month, Recipero’s device-led data and analytics solutions are provided online, in real-time, and are used globally by law enforcement, wireless carriers, insurers, recyclers, retailers and consumers.

About Gazelle

Gazelle is the nation’s leading consumer electronics trade-in site, providing an easy, fast and safe way for consumers to get cash for their unwanted devices. For more information on Gazelle and its participation in the CheckMEND Charter, visit: www.gazelle.com

 

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Recipero

CheckMEND celebrates its 5th Anniversary in the U.S.

checkMEND-logo-color-highresCheckMEND is proud to be celebrating its 5th year of providing North America’s most reputable cell phone and mobile device history checking service.

The past 5 years have seen a great deal of change in global recommerce markets. This incredible growth has being driven by continual consumer demand for the latest and greatest mobile devices, which in turn has led to an ever-increasing number of second-hand devices being traded.

Environmental factors and regulatory issues have also been key drivers in how the market has developed for providers of trade-in and recycling programmes, all of which have resulted in soaring demand for CheckMEND.

CheckMEND’s commitment to the market has earned its reputation as a trusted third party and its service has become an embedded part of millions of transactions each year.

  • For retailers, recyclers, and other businesses handling second-hand devices, use of CheckMEND helps traders avoid lost, blocked and stolen devices, ensures compliance, and has a record of strong ROI.
  • For consumers using eBay, Craigslist or any other re-sale marketplace, a CheckMEND report can not only indicate a device’s current status, it also reports on other factors that can influence its value.
  • For Police and law-enforcement agencies, working with CheckMEND can cut investigation time, reduce costs, and contribute to the reduction of personal property crime.

Gazelle, a leader in consumer electronics trade-in was CheckMEND’s first U.S. customer.  Matt Rowe, VP General Counsel at Gazelle said:

“Gazelle has experienced greater than 100 percent growth in volume for the past several years. With increased volume comes an increase in attempts to trade stolen devices. CheckMEND helps protect our business from that risk and better serve our customers.”

Mark Harman, CEO of Recipero the provider of CheckMEND, commented:

“The U.S. is currently our largest and fastest-growing market. To meet this need 12 months ago we committed investment in all areas of the service particularly in hardware infrastructure, software architecture, and support systems. Our investment ensures CheckMEND is extremely well placed to meet the high-volume, high availability needs of our U.S. clients today and in the future. It is fantastic that this has already been recognised by some of the U.S.’s largest organisations”

Today CheckMEND assists everyone from eBay users to mega retailers and recyclers like GameStop and Gazelle avoid lost, blocked and stolen devices.

GameStop has more than 4,200 U.S. stores, all of which have an active smartphone trade-in program. CheckMEND is a key part of their in-store process where speed and reliability is critical.

Sean Cleland, Director of Recommerce at GameStop said:

“Integrating the Recipero CheckMEND technology with our POS systems and refurbishment facilities was simple and efficient. Their product is an integral part of our efforts to protect our customers and be in full compliance with local regulations.”

Notes for Editors

CheckMEND is provided by Recipero, a company trusted by thousands of data providers to securely aggregate, analyse and interrogate data.  Recipero’s data and analytics are used globally by law enforcement agencies, wireless carriers, insurers, recyclers, retailers and consumers.

Links:

CheckMEND: www.checkmend.com

Recipero: www.recipero.com

GameStop: www.gamestop.com

Gazelle: www.gazelle.com

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Don’t let burglars ruin your Christmas

Avon & Somerset Police want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

Chief Superintendent Jon Stratford who is in charge of burglary for Avon and Somerset Police said:

Over the Christmas period we’ll be working hard to keep you and your property safe. Please do your bit to help us.

After you’ve done your Christmas shopping, if you’ve bought any gadgets for your family and friends then make sure you log anything with a serial number on the national property database Immobilise. This will help us to return your property to you if it’s stolen and will make it harder for thieves to sell on.

I also can’t stress enough the importance or downloading and installing tracking software on your mobiles, tablets and laptops. We’ve had some great results recently where people have activated their tracking software as soon as their phone or tablet has been stolen. Not only did it allow us to catch the thief red-handed, it meant the victim got their property back quickly.

Whether you’re going away for Christmas or staying home to play with all your new toys, there are some simple tips you can follow to keep you and your family safe.

Your home is your castle

  • If you’re going away for Christmas, make sure your house looks occupied. It’s worth getting automatic time switches for lights and radios.
  • Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house whilst you’re away – they could park a car on your drive and collect any mail or free newspapers which might otherwise just sit in your porch.
  • Cancel deliveries of milk and newspapers discreetly – don’t announce your departure to a shop full of people. Only tell people who need to know you’re going away and don’t post your holiday dates on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Don’t have your home address showing on your luggage for the outward journey. Only put this on the inside of your cases.
  • Lock the garage and shed with proper security locks. Make sure your tools are locked away so they can’t be used to break into your house.
  • Remember to remove the keys from locked doors and windows and to keep them out of sight in a safe place.
  • Letter box restrictors can prevent thieves from accessing the lock from the outside.
  • Never leave valuables on display by windows or doors, especially those with cat flaps.
  • Keep presents out of sight and don’t leave packaging for new electrical goods on display outside your house – keep it out of sight until the recycling is collected.

Christmas shopping

  • Keep handbags, purses and wallets close to you and secure at all times.
  • Don’t leave bags hanging on the back of chairs in cafés and restaurants, under tables or in shopping trolleys.
  • We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, register all your gear on Immobilise!

Meet your neighbourhood team
Come to one of the local registration events going on across Avon and Somerset, where your local neighbourhood team can help you to register your property on Immobilise. You can also speak to them about any issues you might have and get general crime prevention advice to help keep you safe this winter. Visit the local pages of the Avon & Somerset Police website to get details of your nearest event.

CheckMEND, ClaimsCheck, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss

Recipero recieves the prestigeous Secured by Design award

Secured by DesignRecipero is pleased to announce that it recently received the highly regarded Secured by Design (SBD) Award for its services and products, including the Immobilise National Property Register service & products, plus linked services including the Police NMPR service, CheckMEND and Report My Loss, all of which are aimed a helping identify, investigate and deter crime and associated criminality.

The Secured by Design Award is the culmination of many months of work that also saw Recipero become both ISO9001 (Quality Management) and ISO27001 (Information Security Management) certified.

Secured by Design is the initiative from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) that aims to reduce crime and calls for the use of services or installation of security solutions that meet police-approved standards. Businesses whose services and/or products have been certified by an accredited testing body to the specified standards, can apply for SBD membership and licence to utilise the scheme’s logo.

The SBD logo is the only symbol that guarantees national Police approval of a product or service, providing customers with reassurance that the solution provides a proven level of resistance to criminal attack.

Utilising SBD-accredited services and security products is a quick and simple way to ensure compliance with new guidelines. Consumers and specifiers are also recognising that SBD provides an easy route to help identify which of the many technical standards indicates a service or product is an effective crime prevention measure.

Neil Stewart, Recipero’s Commercial Director said:

Gaining SBD approval for our services is a significant achievement, and demonstrates Recipero’s commitment to data security and product quality. It also serves to provide Recipero’s valued customers with reassurance that we continue to meet the high standards we have reputation for delivering.

For more information please see:
Secured by Design: http://www.securedbydesign.com

Details of ISO 9001:
http://www.british-assessment.co.uk/services/iso-certification/iso-9001-certification/

Details of ISO 27001:
http://www.british-assessment.co.uk/services/iso-certification/iso-27001-certification/

ACPO: http://www.acpo.police.uk/

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA

Sims Recycling Solutions integrates CheckMEND as they expand into Mobile Devices

sims_recyclingLogoSims Recycling Solutions, a global leader in electronics reuse and recycling, has announced it that it has expanded its U.S. asset management services to include mobile devices, such as feature phones, smartphones and tablets.

Based on the most recent numbers from International Data Corp., it’s clear that mobile devices, especially smartphones, have continued to erode personal computer sales. Worldwide PC shipments totaled only 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013, while worldwide smartphone shipments totaled 216.2 million units. Sims realises this technology shift is changing asset management practices, so the company has invested in the resources necessary to successfully manage the unique challenges associated with mobile devices.

As an extension of our existing asset management services, we have added new ones that simplify the task of managing mobile devices

stated Steve Skurnac, president, Sims Recycling Solutions, Americas.

By using our established global infrastructure, technical expertise and strategic partnerships, Sims is able to fully support the needs of those customers with broken, end-of-life or surplus devices. Our customers can be confident that the same secure, certified and environmentally sound procedures we use to process other electronics will be used to refurbish, remarket and recycle their mobile devices.

To protect its customers from two problems that plague the used mobile device market—stolen devices and fluctuating prices – Sims has signed an agreement with CheckMEND, the world’s largest source of information about used electronics and developed a proprietary system called Price Base.

Through its partnership with CheckMEND, Sims can perform the due diligence necessary to assure customers that the devices the company offers for resale are legitimate. Sims has integrated the CheckMEND application into its inventory management system to automatically check cellphones and tablets when they arrive at a Sims facility. Items with negative report results will be flagged and dealt with on a case-by-case basis. The Price Base system gives Sims the ability to research every available mobile device and know its current value so Sims can competitively price used devices.

For more information please visit:

CheckMEND: www.checkmend.com

Sim Recycling Solutions: www.simsrecycling.com

To view the source Sims Recycling press release please go to: http://us.simsrecycling.com/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Mobile-Device-Recycling

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Police, Recipero

CheckMEND and GameStop Partner to Strengthen Electronic Trade-in Program

CheckMEND the world’s leading due diligence service for used consumer electronics today announced it has secured an agreement with GameStop to deploy its software in all GameStop’s US stores to identify devices that are not eligible for trade.

Developed by UK-based Recipero, CheckMEND is a unique, cutting edge system that allows retailers and recyclers to proactively identify unacceptable devices and stop them from entering the supply chain.

Using data that is aggregated from over 20,000 data sources (including the FBI) CheckMEND provides access to its service to both enterprise and consumers. GameStop is the first major retailer in the US to integrate its application at point of sale. With a data warehouse containing over 150 billion records of information that is relevant to any buyer of used consumer electronics, CheckMEND is fast becoming the “go-to” data provider for this type of information.

Consumers are becoming more aware of the value that exists in their old electronics. That precipitates a need for reliable data and methods to ensure that retailers are protecting consumers. GameStop is leading the way for other retailers to follow suit.

“We are delighted that GameStop has stepped up to the forefront of consumer protection” said Adrian Portlock Founder of CheckMEND. “Our product allows GameStop to protect their customers, their associates in store and their reputable brand by deterring unwanted activity. GameStop has set the bar for other responsible retailers.” “GameStop will continue to invest in technology solutions that offer our customers the best and safest choice to buy, sell or trade video games, consoles and electronics” said Joe Gorman Vice President of Mobile at GameStop. “Working with CheckMEND, we have further enhanced our process, and we are already reaping the benefits of the service in our stores and our state of the art refurbishment center.”

About CheckMEND
CheckMEND is a service provided by Recipero Limited, a privately owned U.K. company, which has specialized since 2001 in the collection of data relating to the history of used consumer electronics (www.checkmend.com). It has grown into the biggest online provider of this type of information to both the trade and the consumer and is currently focused on expanding its operations in the USA. General information on Recipero can be found on the company’s corporate website at www.recipero.com.

About GameStop Corp.
GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is the world’s largest multichannel video game retailer. GameStop’s retail network and family of brands include 6,602 company-operated stores in 15 countries worldwide and online at www.GameStop.com. The network also includes: www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer® magazine, the leading multi-platform video game publication; Spawn Labs, a streaming technology company; a digital PC game distribution platform available at www.GameStop.com/PC; and an online consumer electronics marketplace available at www.BuyMyTronics.com. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company’s corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @www.facebook.com/GameStop.

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

West Midlands Police sign up to Code of Practice to stop sale of stolen goods

West Midlands Police are one of the first forces in the country to fully embrace a new code of practice aimed at slamming the door in the face of thieves trying to sell stolen goods.

A Home Office Code of Practice encourages forces to get second hand stores signed up to a scheme where they check all items offered up for sale against the CheckMEND database which logs if goods have been recorded as lost or stolen.

The force have hundreds of stores such as Cash Converters, Cash Generator, Cex and other independent second hand stores signed up to the scheme and are launching it in style on 23 January with an Impact Activation Day.

On the day officers across the force will be at second hand stores, schools and shopping centres registering goods onto the immobilise database for free.

Each of the stores who have signed up check items offered for sale against the CheckMEND site. Each search generates a unique certificate number. This can be issued to a potential buyer to prove that at the time of purchase the item was not reported lost or stolen and no adverse information was recorded against it.

David Bursey from Byte size Solutions in Kings Heath, Birmingham said:

Now we can use CheckMEND we can buy items from people who come in off the street. We have been dubious about doing that in the past because we have not been able to trace the history of the item. This has opened up new possibilities in how we can conduct our business that is of real benefit to us and our customers.

DC Vanessa Lewis from Force CID who is heading up the project to get all West Midlands second hand stores signed up said:

Our officers have been passionate about getting stores signed up as one of the main ways we can stop the sale of stolen goods and ultimately deter burglars and thieves.

The more the public register their goods on immobilise, the more effective the system will be.

A YouTube video explaining how the system works is available below or at this link: http://youtu.be/LNx-5eoaXGA

For details of where officers will be across the force area on 23 January please read the full article available in this linked PDF: Full West Midlands Police Article