Category Archives: Crime

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, NMPR, Police

Property marking warning for building site burglars

York Police are fighting back against building site burglars – by making valuable tools and plant kit ‘too hot to handle’ with Immobilise.

Following a spate of recent burglaries targeting building sites York Police are taking proactive steps to deter criminals and ensure property is easy to identify.

Officers are attending a building site in Clifford Street, York, today (Tuesday 27 October) to security mark and log all equipment there, ensuring would-be thieves would find it impossible to sell on. The site was recently targeted by burglars, and police are now inviting other building firms in York to get their equipment marked too.

Property on the site will be security marked using dot peen marking, in conjunction with the Hermes recording system to log it on Immobilise, the UK national property register database.

Property marking sessions at other sites are also taking place, and officers are now inviting firms in York to get in touch so their equipment can also be security marked and registered.

PCSO Chris Shearing, of York Police, said:

Getting your property marked – whether it’s plant kit, power tools, bikes or gadgets – is one of the most effective ways to protect it from criminals.

The permanent marking will deter thieves, as it makes it far harder to sell on. It will also be much easier for us to return it to its rightful owner if it is lost or stolen, and could provide vital evidence to secure a prosecution.

Plant kit and power tools on building sites can be worth thousands of pounds, which is why it’s so important to get it security marked and registered. We want the message to go out to would-be burglars that targeting sites in York is simply not worth the risk.

Dot peen marking involves using a tungsten carbide-tipped pin to indent an object with dots to create a visible, permanent unique number. The unique number is entered onto the national Immobilise property register database. The dot peen machines in York were funded by North Yorkshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, and Safer York Partnership.

For more information, visit www.northyorkshire.police.uk/whatisdotpeen. Drop-in sessions for members of the public are promoted in the local press and on Twitter with the hashtag #whatisdotpeen, via the local team accounts @snayorkcityeast, @snayorknorth and @snayorkwest.

Any businesses or organisations in York interested in getting their property marked should contact their local police team by dialling 101 and selecting option 2.

CheckMEND, Crime, NMPR, Police

CheckMEND featured on BBC One programme – Cashing In

Cashing InThe Recipero CheckMEND solution was featured yesterday (22/07/2015) in BBC One programme “Cashing In” helping Cash Converters trade safely.

It is a great example of CheckMEND in use helping traders and police tackle phone crime. Watch it from 35 minutes on BBC iPlayer (available until 21/08/2015)

Link: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05n92sg/cashing-in-episode-1

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

South Liverpool residents deter burglars with Immobilise

Residents in south Liverpool are taking advantage of the Immobilise National Property Register to help them to protect their belongings, and deter burglars at the same time.

South Liverpool Homes (SLH) has joined up with Merseyside Police to offer the free scheme to all SLH tenants.  At the housing association’s monthly walkabout on Wednesday 6th May, staff chatted to tenants to make them aware of the scheme which aims to encourage people to register all their belongings on a national database.

The landlord is making it as easy as possible for tenants to take part in the scheme by registering their belongings for them if they are unable to access the internet.  This can include anything of value from mobile phone, tablets and game consoles to TV’s, bikes and watches.

SLH tenant Mrs Mooney is the first SLH tenant to take advantage of the scheme:

I thought this was a great idea so I jumped at the chance to register.  It took about 15 minutes to do and now I have peace of mind that if any of my belongings do get stolen, there’s a good chance I’ll get them back.

Sharon Marsh, SLH’s Community Safety Manager said:

We are able to offer this service by working in partnership with Merseyside Police who will assist us with registering as many tenants as we can.  Tenants can also register their belongings themselves by logging onto the Immobilise database where they will be given a secure login.  Once registered, we ask tenants to tell us so that we can give people stickers to put in their windows which we hope will deter potential burglars.

SLH and Merseyside Police launched the scheme following consultation with residents in Speke. Once 25% of residents on a street sign-up, they will be issued with free street signs that advertise that the area takes part in the Immobilise
scheme.

To read the source story please go to:
www.24dash.com/news/housing/2015-05-12-New-scheme-launched-in-South-Liverpool-to-deter-burglars

Crime, Fraud, Mobile Phones, Police, Recipero

Jack Wraith MBE appointed as Recipero’s UK Government & Regulatory Affairs Adviser

Jack Wraith MBEWe are pleased to welcome Jack Wraith MBE to Recipero as Government and Regulatory Affairs Adviser. As people familiar with the telecoms industry will know, Jack has extensive experience in the area of telecommunications fraud and risk and has held several lead roles most recently as CEO of TUFF (the Telecommunications United Kingdom Fraud Forum).

Jack has also served as Chair of The Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF), and former Executive Secretary to the Communications Crime Strategy Group (CCSG). In tandem with these roles Jack has also acted as Chairman to a number of fraud and crime related committees within the UK, including Joint Chairmanship of the ACPO Telecommunications Data Communications Group.

Jack’s role at Recipero is to lead liaison with Government, regulators, law enforcement and mobile operators to ensure a coordinated and effective approach to mobile device fraud and criminality is adopted and maintained.

Mark Harman, CEO Recipero said:

Our on-going liaison with law enforcement and Government continues to be a fundamental part of our business in the UK, US, and other jurisdictions in which we operate.

Jack’s experience and his joining us in this important role will be integral to those on-going partnerships and reinforces Recipero’s commitment to deliver the best fraud and crime reduction solutions to the industry.

Links:

Telecommunications United Kingdom Fraud Forum (TUFF)

The Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF)

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Mobile Phones, Police, Recipero

Recipero Partners with CCA to Help Carriers Identify and Prevent Trade of Stolen Devices

Denver, CO. – January 28, 2015 – Today, Recipero announced a strategic partnership with Competitive Carriers Association to help prevent the trade and sale of stolen consumer electronics, including smartphones.

CCA-logo-225pxRecipero CheckMEND is the most complete international listing of lost and stolen mobile devices available, comprised of data from major wireless carriers and law-enforcement entities globally. Using the CheckMEND tool, CCA members will have the ability to identify lost or stolen devices and prevent these devices from entering the carrier’s buyback programs.

In addition, CCA can help eliminate trafficking in stolen mobile devices in the U.S. and abroad by submitting the respective identification numbers of all devices that have been reported as lost or stolen into Recipero’s CheckMEND database. The CheckMEND database can also be used by consumers and law-enforcement agencies to verify that a pre-owned CCA member smartphone has not been reported lost or stolen

Consumer safety is a priority for our members, and I am delighted that CCA and Recipero have formed a strategic partnership to help preserve the safety of our members’ customers

said CCA President & CEO Steven K. Berry.

Giving carriers the tools they need to identify stolen or lost devices will certainly help protect their customers and build loyalty, while at the same time proactively reduce mobile-device theft and the sale of stolen smartphones in the U.S. and abroad. The CCA/Recipero effort is a practical, common-sense business solution to solve a real problem for consumers.

Mark Harman, CEO of Recipero said:

CCA’s collaboration with Recipero marks a significant step in helping the industry address cellphone crime. The availability of CCA members lost and stolen device data alongside our existing datasets reinforces Recipero’s reputation for delivering solutions that aim to help socially whilst providing clear commercial benefits.

Continue reading Recipero Partners with CCA to Help Carriers Identify and Prevent Trade of Stolen Devices →

Crime, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Police, Recipero

Recipero’s 2014 Mobile Device Crime Facts and Figures

2014 was a busy year for Recipero with our customers checking over $4 Billion worth of devices using our solutions. 

We have pulled a few more more facts and figures from our Crime Reduction Ecosystem that are summarised in the attached infographic “2014 Mobile Device Crime Facts and Figures”.

To learn more about Recipero’s Crime Reduction Ecosystem and our solutions that contribute to it, please visit our main website at www.recipero.com. 

Recipero 2014 Mobile Device Crime Facts and Figures

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

Police advise residents to log their gifts

Northumbria Police NewsPolice are urging people to get their new gifts logged to keep them out of the hands of thieves.

The Northumberland Gazette has reported that Northumbria Police are advising residents to get new bikes, phones, electricals, tools and other valuables registered with free property logging website Immobilise.com

And those who received iPads, iPhones and other similar smartphones and tablets for Christmas are urged to activate built-in GPS systems and download apps which help locate stolen property.

The immediate crime prevention activity will mean if new property is stolen and later recovered it can be returned to the rightful owner, as well as potentially catching criminals in possession of stolen goods.

The advice is part of Operation Soundwave – a campaign aimed at cutting volume crime and tackling opportunist thieves – which is ongoing over the festive season.

Immobilise is the world’s largest register of property where members of the public can log their valuables – anything such as mobile phones, bikes, tools, electricals and gardening equipment. It’s free to register and takes just a few minutes to sign up.

Ownership details can be viewed by police across the country on the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR), which allows officers to check a recovered item and instantly find the owner.

Northumbria Police Superintendent Mick Paterson said:

Many people will have received devices such as iPhones, games consoles and laptops for Christmas and I’m sure crime prevention is not something which is at the forefront of people’s mind when they have just received gifts and are enjoying festivities.

But I’d like to remind people that it’s important to take a few moments to take a note of the serial number and register with immobilise where an image can be uploaded and the serial number recorded.

It means if it is stolen and recovered, it can be returned to the rightful owner as well as ensuring those found in possession of it can be dealt with, potentially preventing further crime.

The more people that register with immobilise, the easier it is to return stolen property and the more difficult it is for criminals to profit from their crimes.

Gadget-lovers are also being urged to make the most of tracking technology to stay one step ahead of thieves.

Supt Paterson added:

We of course would urge everyone to protect their property from thieves in the first place, such as making sure phones are secured in zip pockets or handbags, not leaving items lying around on pub or cafe tables and never leaving electronic items on show in a vehicle.

However, if such equipment is stolen, taking this simple step can make the difference between losing the item forever or having it tracked, located and seized by police.

Modern technology has its place alongside the more traditional police work and we’ll continue to combine all investigative techniques to cut crime across Northumbria and stop thieves in their tracks.

For more crime prevention information visit http://www.northumbria.police.uk/crimeprevention, while people are urged to sign up to free property register Immobilise at www.immobilise.com

It’s also vital residents report anything suspicious to police straight away so they can investigate. Police can be called on 101, or to report a crime ongoing dial 999.

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Police

FCC issue clear, focused, actionable guidance to tackle phone crime

At the FCC’s Technical Advisory Committee meeting on December 4th (FCC video – view from 39 minutes) Chairman Wheeler shared what he will be asking industry to do to reduce levels of mobile device theft.

Ensure that the lock/erase/restore functionalities built into many phones today is enabled by default.

This is important progress for consumers, many of whom choose not to enable such mechanisms. In future it is hoped they will have to actively choose to disable them. Consumer choice will not be restricted – but they will be protected by default. In the area of theft from consumers, such functionality is having an effect already. Changing the default configuration will ensure more consumers are protected.

Secure the unique device identifiers by ensuring they cannot be changed.

This is absolutely crucial to both the good operation of cellular networks and in the fight against crime. The practice of reprogramming is already outlawed in several countries but enforcement is virtually impossible. Making identifiers immutable at a hardware level will make circumvention uneconomical for criminals. At the same time it will ensure that existing tools such as cross-operator blocking continue to effectively contribute to the fight against device crime.

Improve use of data to stop the resale of stolen devices.

This request has three components and is the most significant recommendation. Data sharing is already used to reduce wider crimes involving corporate theft and contract fraud that blocking or ‘kill switch’ functions do not address but  there are gaps that need to be addressed.

Some existing databases are slow and cumbersome

Industry needs to use the “best of breed” databases to share information.

Current systems have limitations at odds with the fast-paced world of wireless. It is clear that there is no technological barrier to having real-time data sharing between networks, law enforcement and traders. In Malaysia the Communications and Multimedia Commission has successfully implemented and will soon launch real-time blocking and information sharing between networks and other parties. The attentions of the FCC in this area should raise awareness with industry.

Industry must support law enforcement agencies in its actions

The Chairman sets the challenge “There must be an app for that!”  Well, there is, of course, and it can be accessed by law enforcement officers from any smartphone, tablet or web browser at www.nmpr.com. This web application brings together databases old and new in one place that officers can use very simply. The global NMPR is used by over 80,000 police officers and staff in the UK and 75 agencies in the US are currently trialing its use. We anticipate that the FCC’s attention in this area will encourage all law enforcement agencies to explore this powerful tool.

Industry must take steps to verify that a device is not stolen when it is offered to them in trade

Some industry leaders including Sprint, Gamestop and Gazelle adopted such practices up to two years ago. They recognized that simply checking whether a phone is blocked by another network is not enough. Less than 50% ¹ of phones that are not in the hands of the rightful owner are reported to networks. Those subject to insurance claims, corporate theft, supply chain leakage, contract and rental fraud account for a massive amount of thefts that do not result in network blocking or kill switch activation. These can only be addressed by both data sharing from industry and appropriate due-diligence at the point of trade.

The Chairman’s requests to industry are clear, focused and actionable. The solutions to each challenge are available and cost effective. The wireless industry and law enforcement would do well to look closely at those solutions.

 

¹ As at 8th Dec 2014 US blocked phones accounts for 48.9% of the total US stolen phones that Recipero holds records of.

Links:

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

Police and Asda work together to get shoppers property registered on Immobilise

Humberside Police are working in partnership with ASDA at Mount Pleasant Retail Park to get electrical items purchased in the store uploaded onto www.immobilise.com at the point of purchase.

Starting Sunday 31 August 2014, the store will give customers the opportunity to register their new electrical and valuable items recorded and uploaded onto the national property registration site for FREE.

Registration forms for www.immobilise.com accounts will be completed within the store with customers before being put online by Humberside Police volunteers. Once registered with an account the owners will then have the opportunity to add further property onto that account.

Immobilise is an online property registration system used by all UK police forces and second hand dealers to check whether property that is recovered or offered for sale they come in contact with is stolen. If so it allows them to return it to the owners and also assists in bringing offenders to justice who are in possession of the property.

The scheme is being rolled out to tackle the issue of victims not being able to provide full details of their property when it is lost or stolen. In addition it is hoped it will assist the police in bring those responsible for stealing property and handling the property to justice.

PCSO Chris Wright said:

Over the past few years police have attended community events and other engagement opportunities to encourage members of the public to register all their property on the site. This has been reasonably successful, but by registering the property at the point of purchase it is hoped that even more people will benefit being signed up to www.immobilise.com.

I am delighted that ASDA have agreed to offer this service and builds on the strong links we have the stores in this area. They were quick to get involved with Operation Sodium to assist the force in tackling retail crime and their support in hosting a wide range of crime prevention events in stores.

If the immobilise registration proves a success in ASDA I hope other retailers will follow suit and look at the possibility of offering a similar service to their customers.

A similar initiative was rolled out via Cycle shops in Hull in April and to date over 1000’s new cycles have been registered onto www.immobilise.com.

To read the source story please go to: http://www.humberside.police.uk/newsmedia/hull-police-and-asda-work-together-to-get-shoppers-property-on-immobilise 

CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Sussex Police urge residents to register on Immobilise to help identify recovered property

Sussex Police Operation MagpieSussex Police are urging the public to join the battle against burglars by logging their valuables on the Immobilise National Property Register which allows police and the public to work together to make stolen items too hot to handle.

Residents can enter the details of their possessions on the free website and report when they have been stolen.

Police officers not just in Sussex but around the UK can then check the details of items that they find or seize against the database. By confirming that the seized items had been stolen, officers can then look to prosecute whoever they were seized from for burglary or handling stolen goods – and can return the valuables to their rightful owners.

Sussex Police is encouraging residents to use Immobilise as part of Operation Magpie, the force’s crackdown on burglary across the county.

In support of Operation Magpie and Immobilise Registration Sussex Police have also produced an informative video that can be watched on youtube: Sussex Police Youtube video promoting Immobilise

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Betts said:

When our officers respond to reports of burglary, they often cannot get enough detailed information about the items which have been stolen – without old boxes for electrical items or photographs of jewellery for example it can be very difficult to accurately identify what has been taken.

Better information greatly increases the chances of us being able to reunite stolen property with its rightful owner, helps us to get a better picture of which burglaries could be linked and gives us the evidence we need to prove that property is stolen.

That helps us to link items to burglars and those trading in stolen goods and means we can get offenders off the streets and into the courts.

Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, is backing the campaign urging residents to register their property. She said:

I’d like to see as many residents as possible playing their part in helping to beat burglary in Sussex.

It’s simple – and it’s free – to register your personal items on the website and I hope people will do so. As well as making it easier for the police to track down registered owners, it can also act as a deterrent as it makes it harder for thieves to sell items on because they can be identified.

As well as registering mobile phones and electrical items with serial numbers, residents can also register other items by uploading photographs and giving a description.

They can also use the website to instantly access a list of all their property and to print off certificates of ownership if they need to make a claim to their insurance company.

You can register your property in just a few minutes by visiting www.immobilise.com.