Category Archives: Fraud

Stumble Upon a Valuable? Know Your Next Move!

Have you ever stumbled upon a valuable item like a ring, bicycle, or mobile phone while out and about? It can be an exciting discovery, but what should you do next? Understanding the legal course of action when you find something of value is essential to ensure you act responsibly and ethically. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps and legal guidelines to follow when you find valuables in the UK.

Step 1: Report the Find

If you find a licence or document with an individual’s address on it, post it back to them. If there is no address but an issuing authority, such as a passport or blue badge, mail it back to the source. For anything else, visit your local police website – they all have links for reporting found property these days. They will ask questions about the find and offer further guidance and next steps.

Step 2: If the police don’t require a report

In situations where the police do not require a report for the found item, your next step involves several important actions to identify the owner:

Check for Identification Labels: Look for any visible markings that could help identify the owner. This includes Immobilise labels, which may feature a QR code or a barcoded serial number, indicating registration on the Immobilise national property register. Additionally, be on the lookout for other third-party marks or labels that might signify registration with a different service.

Visit Immobilise Website: If an Immobilise label is present, visit immobilise.com/search and enter the item’s details. This can help reconnect the item with its rightful owner while keeping their personal information confidential. Through this system, your contact details can be passed on to the owner if they are found.

Make Reasonable Enquiries: Independently of label checks, make reasonable efforts to find the owner. This could include asking people nearby, in offices, or shops, and considering leaving a note with your details. If the item was found on private property, such as a shop, pub, or workplace, inform the owner of the land or building.

Step 3: Where neither of the above applies

If you have exhausted the above, the law becomes a little complicated. If you have posted a notice anywhere or asked on local social media groups, we suggest you wait 90 days. If you haven’t heard from anyone after this time, you could consider selling it. However, UK law states that if the rightful owner can prove it’s theirs, you are liable to them for the proceeds, less reasonable storage costs for up to 6 years after the sale. However, this is unlikely to be an issue, mainly since the police process captures higher-value property.

Beware of ‘Geeks’ Bearing Gifts – A New Type of Fraud

By Les Gray, COO of Recipero

Ok, so not everyone looking to part with valuable used consumer electronics is a ‘Geek’.  The proverb shamelessly mangled for this post’s title does neatly sum up a note of caution though – not everyone trying to sell you an item is acting honestly.

Mobile phones are undergoing a massive increase in fraudulent sales, reflecting a wide-ranging change in the marketplace for how phones reach consumers. Many companies are now providing new or refurbished phones on rental agreements. These are attractive propositions, enabling the consumer to obtain a cheaper handset for a lower monthly cost than the traditional network-subsidised model and the ability to upgrade or cancel almost at will.

The problem for traders with this market shift is the number of phones being fraudulently sold or offered as collateral for pawn or buy-back transactions is increasing rapidly.

The seller of such devices does not have legal title, so the trader cannot acquire legal title. The trader’s perceived security in the device is worthless.

Many traders check whether a phone is blocked on mobile networks. This check identifies a small subset of stolen phones reported to the networks. However, it amounts to shutting their eyes to the presence of loss and theft reports from police, insurers, the public and corporate owners.

Only CheckMEND has access to Recipero’s Crime Reduction Ecosystem, a massive collection of devices (not just phones) that are stolen or will become so if sold. Millions of devices are rightfully in possession of consumers but not owned by them, and they have no right to sell. The shift in market conditions has recently grown this class of phones by 10% month-on-month during 2022 and is accelerating, widening the already significant gap between network-blocked phones and stolen phones.

An analysis of 30,000 phones from one recent month’s trade, found over 1,000 stolen items valued at almost £200,000. Not a single phone was network blocked when offered for sale. Pawn or buy-back transactions may feel more secure as the customer often redeems the phone. However, 40% become blocked up to eight weeks after the transaction; plenty of time for the careless trader to resell the phone, only to have a disgruntled customer return when it stops working. Perhaps worse, that customer tries to sell their phone only to fail because of the stolen record—double trouble and cost for the unfortunate trader.  

CheckMEND is the only due diligence system compliant with the UK Recycler’s Code of Best Practice, and the above should clarify why. The world’s biggest companies that create markets for mobile phones trust us to track their property and detect and prevent its theft. Their trust in us is why CheckMEND’s due diligence service is both unrivalled and growing at an increasing rate.

Are you buying phones without running CheckMEND checks? Are you confident that you are doing enough? Contact us for a free, no-obligation analysis of historical transactions. Every stolen phone we identify that you’ve missed will have the corresponding information provided so you can take action on it to reduce the risk you’ve previously assumed.

Remember, network block checking is not the same as avoiding buying stolen property.

CheckMEND’s New Look

We thought it was about time CheckMEND had a revamp – we really like it and hope you do too!

The Recipero team have been working away on the new look behind the scenes for the last few months. The CheckMEND service remains the same as users are familiar with, while the design of the report has been simplified to make it easier to understand.

New users can claim a free device check report by registering an account, perfect for instances where someone is planning on buying a second-hand piece of tech and the seller doesn’t already have a CheckMEND certificate.

We’re also really interested to hear about existing users’ past experiences with CheckMEND and have a survey open to all users, to help us to improve the service we offer.

Users who complete the 2-minute survey will be given 25% off checks until Friday 29th August 2022.

Immobilise Awarded Loss Prevention Standard 1224

Immobilise is proud to have been awarded Loss Prevention Standard 1224. This is a secure asset register standard and Immobilise is the only register that supports all types of property, to hold this certification. Register bikes to blu-rays, golf clubs to games consoles at immobilise.com . Registration provides maximum protection from second-hand trade and visibility to police and insurers, all working together to reduce theft.

Loss Protection Certification Board Award

#ImmobiliseCrime #PropertyMarking #UKPolice #TooHotToHandle

The Royal Mint To Extract Gold From Old Phones

Great to hear the @royalmint investing in new phone recycling tech. We hope they will expect their supply chain to utilise CheckMEND to avoid destroying discarded phones implicated in a crime that may contain vital evidence. CheckMEND.com is the only due-diligence service assuring compliance with the UK Recyclers’ Code of Best Practice.

Smartphones: The Royal Mint to extract gold from old phones

https://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58978512www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58978512

#checkmend #devicehistoryreport

Recipero Attends The ORIS Risk Summit (12-13 Oct)

Recipero is pleased to be participating at the well-respected ORIS Risk Summit event at the De Vere Wokefield Estate in Berkshire, UK.
Working alongside our law enforcement liaison officers, we are speaking to the retail and logistics community to combat business and retail crime. Recipero directly contributes to over £35m of loss prevention monthly in the UK alone.
Please come and visit our stand. We would be delighted to talk to you about how we can help your organisation.

To learn more visit: http://orisforums.co.uk/

#lossprevention #retail #lawenforcement #police #ecommerce

Thieves See Christmas Differently

As Christmas fast approaches, we’d like to share a few crime prevention tips that are known to be effective at this time of year.

  • Make approaching your home too conspicuous for burglars – Invest in motion sensor lights or even festive lighting.
  • Be secure, especially with festive lighting – Check for vulnerabilities around the home and garden such as feeding cables through open windows.
  • Create the illusion of occupancy when you’re away, especially at night. Use inexpensive light timers or a Fake TV to deter would-be thieves.
  • Create the illusion of occupancy when you’re away, especially at night. Use inexpensive light timers or a Fake TV to deter would-be thieves.
  • Away over Christmas? Ask a neighbour to park on the driveway, redirect parcels, and be sure to cancel milk or paper deliveries.
  • Be cyber aware and careful not to advertise your new gifts or trips away on social media! 
  •  Don’t hide spare keys and use alarms if you have them.

Protecting your home and family need not be time consuming or expensive; a few simple steps can make all the difference.

Don’t forget to register and protect gifts and valuables on Immobilise  – It is completely FREE and helps deter thieves and combat property crime. Visit immobilise.com and click on ‘register’ or if you already have an account, log in using your account details to update your property list.

We are offering 15% OFF all our marking and security products. Visit shop.immobilise.com using coupon code: Christmas15 on checkout. Discount available until Monday 4th January & includes FREE delivery on orders over £30!

Another (Important) Christmas Checklist

Many of us will have done much of our Christmas shopping online this year. For those of you intending to visit the high street, busy shopping areas can be magnets for pick-pockets and other criminals this time of year. It’s important to be as vigilant as ever and whilst out shopping: 

  • Put cash and cards away safely and try not to keep your valuables in one place, especially your phone – should your bag be lost or stolen you can still call for help.
  • Shield the keypad when typing in your PIN when making payments or withdrawing cash. 
  • Don’t make it easy for thieves by hanging bags on chairs. If you’re having a well-earned break, keep your bag and shopping in your eye-line and away from passing hands.
  • Avoid overtly wearing expensive jewellery and watches in public places. 
  • Park vigilantly in an open, well-lit area. Visit the website parkmark.co.uk for details of police approved car parks. It sounds simple but If you must store presents in a vehicle, make sure they are out of view and that the car is securely locked. 
  • If you witness a crime report it to shop staff or police dialling 999. For suspicions and non-emergencies call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to provide anonymous information

Check Up before you level up

Sony’s Playstation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox series X had their big reveals recently selling out immediately. For those who aren’t willing to pay thousands of pounds on eBay in a bidding war, it appears that the next best chance to score a system will be on Black Friday. That’s when a number of big-box retailers will make their latest shipments available. 

If you are lucky enough to get one this holiday season and are looking to sell your old gaming system don’t forget to sell with a CheckMEND.com certificate it’s been proven to enhance listings on internet auction and classified sites to get you a much better price. All you need is the serial number to perform a check on CheckMEND to generate a certificate.

If you’re considering buying a second-hand system, on the other hand, you may want to look at a Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS4 Pro, or PS4 Slim, all having plenty of life left, there are bargains to be had. For added peace-of-mind before making a purchase don’t forget to ask the seller or retailer for a copy of a CheckMEND certificate to prove the legitimacy of the system. You may check the certificate’s authenticity free of charge by entering its number at checkmend.com/uk/verify.