Category Archives: Recipero

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, eBay, Mobile Phones, Recipero

Second-hand Trading – Forewarned is Forearmed

Trading in second-hand property is an admirable but risky business. It encourages re-use to the benefit of the environment, saves manufacturing emissions and prolongs the availability of precious resources. It helps people acquire things they need or want but may not be able to afford new, and it provides a source of cash without driving people into debt.

Though the vast majority of those you buy from are honest people with a genuine need and full legal title to whatever they are selling, the bad actors represent a disproportionate risk of revenue loss and maybe legal exposure to your business. Even the well-intentioned seller may be blissfully ignorant that some contract arrangement means they don’t have legal title to what they’re selling. Unfortunately, the good seller’s ignorance presents the same risk to you as the bad seller’s dishonesty.

To mitigate these risks, first know your seller. Make effective identity checks to confirm their name and address. Ask the right questions–do they own the property? Are they representing someone who owns it? Can you contact the owner? Do they have the original receipt? Obvious questions perhaps, but not asking such questions and obtaining written confirmation of the answers will make it very difficult for you to mount a defence if you should end up buying stolen property.

Intent is a requirement of many criminal offences; some laws though create a number of offences that do not require it. Simply contravening these laws may be sufficient for a court to convict. Such laws though do allow the defence of reasonable precautions or due diligence. While there is no absolute test for sufficient due diligence, one thing is for sure – doing nothing and relying on ignorance is no defence at all.

Some due diligence is better than none but be sure to ask yourself if you could have done better. Are you acting in the best interests of your customers, your shareholders and your staff (all of whom you have some duty of care to)? If you find yourself in court are you confident that you can demonstrate there is nothing more that would have been reasonable for you to do?

If you’re not sure you can answer that question, give us a call. We can help. For contact information: https://www.recipero.com/contact or to learn about due diligence checking of used consumer electronics visit https://www.checkmend.com/uk/trader/checking

Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Recipero, Report My Loss, Students

Mobile Phone Security Advice

Phone thieves have a variety of techniques to separate you from your mobile phone. Pickpocketing and ”snatch” theft incidents are quite common. As is accidentally leaving it somewhere only to discover that it had gone upon your return. It’s also risky to leave your phone on display in your car or anywhere else in public unattended.

Immobilise recommends the following advice to give your device the best protection it can get;

Always use a keypad lock
Use the keypad lock so that thieves cannot immediately access your phone or use the biometric authentication if your phone has it (fingerprint or facial recognition).

Install a tracking/anti-theft app
These can be an effective way of seeing exactly where your phone has been taken to and the police trace your phone – which is very useful when catching the thieves who took it.

Register it on Immobilise.com
Register your phone FREE on immobilise.com to help police recover it and combat the sale of stolen goods. UK network operators can also stop a stolen phone from working across their networks with its IMEI – Find your number by dialing *#06# and make sure you log it.

Be cautious
When you’re talking on your phone in public, be aware of your surroundings. When storing your phone, don’t just slip it into your jeans pocket or leave it on view in a public place where it may get unwanted attention.

Get insured. 
Replacing a mobile phone can be a costly business and only a third of phone owners have insurance. It’s a sensible idea and a small price to pay for better peace of mind.

Bicycles, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Police, Recipero, Students

Immobilise Bike Security & Awareness

It’s officially UK Bike Week and we hope you’re enjoying getting out and about on your bicycles. With authorities encouraging us to cycle to work, as a leisure activity or for fitness more of us are cycling than ever. Bicycles are seen as high-value targets by thieves, be sure follow some basic security advice to protect your bike;

  1. Buy the best-approved lock you can afford, preferably a D-Lock – and remember 2 locks are better than one!
  2. Pick wisely where you lock your bike, in a secure well-lit observable area. 
  3. Lock your bike to something secure.
  4. Remove accessories.
  5. Give your bike a unique ID and register it FREE on www.immobilise.com
http://www.immobilise.com

For more bicycle security advice go to: https://www.immobilise.com/articles/bikesecurity

Stay safe and happy cycling.

CheckMEND, ClaimsCheck, Immobilise, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Recipero, Report My Loss

Recipero prevents Criminals from a gain of £35m

“It’s been widely publicised that criminals have exploited the vulnerable during the pandemic and will continue to do so. When lockdown restrictions ease and we all begin adapting to the new normal, their activities will continue to exploit consumer behaviour. Recipero’s Crime Reduction Ecosystem provides accurate, efficient data to minimise and prevent theft, loss and dishonesty. We prevented criminals from a gain of £35m before lockdown and will prevent even more going forwards.”

–Andrew Kewley, Head of Policing Solutions at Recipero
CheckMEND, ClaimsCheck, Immobilise, NMPR, Recipero, Report My Loss

Recipero Renewal of Secured By Design membership

Recipero is delighted to announce the renewal of our Secured By Design membership covering all of our products.

Secured By Design is an official Police security initiative that seeks to identify products and services meeting the highest standards of security and impacts on crime.

Our SBD membership page lists our wide range of Asset protection services and products:-

Read more about our Crime Reduction Ecosystem at https://www.recipero.com/crime-reduction-ecosystem

Recipero

TransUnion UK Sells Recipero to Management Team

Recipero logo

TransUnion has sold its Recipero business – which operates in both the UK and US – to its current management team.

The management buyout represents a return to independence for Recipero which was established in 2000 and has enjoyed consistent success providing data solutions to detect and prevent theft and fraud in the world’s mobile device communities.

“We’re very pleased to have agreed to this buyout with Recipero’s current management team, since the business no longer aligns with our global model,” said Satrajit “Satty” Saha, CEO of TransUnion UK. “With their experience in the business spanning two decades, and a track record of success, we’re confident that the company will continue to thrive. We will be working together in the future and wish them success in this exciting new chapter.”

TransUnion will continue to offer fraud and ID solutions using state-of-the-art technology, to help clients verify more customers and reduce the risks of fraud.

Recipero chief operating officer Les Gray said: “Having established a loyal client base over the years, spanning both public and private sector, we will continue to operate as we do currently, without any disruption. We welcome the opportunities that lie ahead for us as an independent business as we move into 2020.”

Steve Shepherd, Recipero’s chief technical officer added: “We’re looking forward to this exciting new start and will be developing our offerings to support crime reduction and due diligence as we embark on a new year and a new beginning.”

Recipero provides a range of solutions for both businesses and consumers for fraud prevention, crime investigation, device due diligence and more, with the management team committed to maintaining and enhancing their products and services.

Recipero

Recipero starts the integration into Transunion

Now Recipero is formally part of TransUnion after being acquired by the leading global risk and information solutions provider last month (19th June), there will be a phased approach to changing our appearance which we expect to complete by the end of the year. Becoming part of TransUnion is an important step in making it easier for companies to do business with us, both domestically and internationally, by providing access to greater expertise across global markets.

What does it mean for you?

During this time of change, our priority remains on continuing to deliver the excellent level of service and insight that our customers have grown to expect.

As the phased integration process continues, you will start to become familiar with TransUnion which already has a presence in over 30 countries worldwide. The company will be referred to as ‘Recipero, now part of TransUnion’ during the initial stage, as reflected in the logo.

If you have any questions about the acquisition and integration process, please reach out to your account management team or for more information you can click here.

We look forward to bringing you further news as our integration journey continues throughout the year.

NMPR, Recipero

How can the NMPR help with Police investigations?

Imagine a scenario where you’ve seized the mobile phone, tablet, laptop or other digital device in the course of your investigation. You’ve downloaded the contents or interrogated the device for evidence. With any luck, you’ve found something to assist you to seek well-earned justice for the victim in the case, but why stop there…

Tap the IMEI or serial number into the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR) which has a wealth unique data drawn from the Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem. To find the IMEI on any phone dial *#06#. Device data collected from various sources starts to form a picture of the device’s history and provides intelligence that can reveal more about the device itself than the contents of it, helping you make more of every lead.

We have helped to join the dots for a wide range of use cases and investigations ranging from all different types of crime, missing persons, organised crime, custody suite checks on property in the possession of detainees and many others.

If you are interested in finding out more about the ways the NMPR can help make you more efficient in the fight against crime then please get in touch. We recently helped North Wales Police with a week-long force-wide training roadshow which has already started to yield positive results.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to working with you soon!

Andrew Kewley
Police Business Development Manager
andrew.kewley@recipero.com

Recipero

Data disconnect: marketers struggling to understand their customers

Despite increased sophistication in how data is being collected and used, new research by Callcredit Information Group has revealed that marketers are struggling to really understand their customers’ needs and expectations.

Whilst almost two-thirds (65%) of marketers believe that smart marketing has helped them outperform the competition, the ‘So you think you know your customers?’  report revealed that marketers may not have as clear a view of their customers as they think. In fact, 47% of marketers believe that more than half of their customers have a very high understanding of how companies use their data. But in reality, less than one in ten (9%) consumers feel this way.

The research uncovered a number of further significant differences in what marketers believe customers think and what they actually do. Three in five marketers (61%), for example, think that consumers are frustrated with the way businesses access and use their data. In truth, fewer consumers (52%), although still a large number, say they are exasperated with this.

Similarly, a majority (81%) of marketers believe customers have become more selective about whothey allow to access their data. Whilst the number of consumers (62%) who have become stricter on this is significant, it is lower than marketers think.

This disconnect is leading to missed opportunities and ineffective marketing efforts. Whilst almost half (47%) of consumers have become less likely to respond to promotions, for instance, just 30% of marketers have taken note of this trend.

Steve McNicholas, Managing Director, Credit and Marketing Data, Callcredit Information Group, commented: “With truly data driven businesses having the competitive advantage in today’s digital environment, marketers must – first and foremost – ensure that they really understand their customers’ data expectations. Without this insight, no matter how smart their tactics, marketing strategies will fall short of expectations.”

When comparing this year’s (2017) responses to those asked in Callcredit’s ‘The Data Dilemma’ report last year, it’s evident that marketers are using a growing number of data sources to inform their decisions. The use of internal sources such as CRM and marketing data, for example, has nearly doubled in usage – from 37% in 2016 to 67% this year (2017). Interestingly, one in five (21%) marketers still see providing clear directives based on customer data insights as their biggest challenge.

McNicholas continued: “One of the main reasons marketers don’t have as clear a picture of what their customers think, is because the growing number of data sources is making it difficult for them to determine what data is useful and what is not. There are a number of steps marketers can take to overcome this problem, including setting up a preference centre to ask customers how they want to be marketed to and figuring out what data actually improves the effectiveness of their efforts. As understanding their customers will become even more critical for businesses once the General Data Protection Regulation comes into effect later this year, the time for marketers to get smarter is now.”

To find out more on Callcredit’s seven tips on how marketers can get smarter and improve their understanding of customers, download your free copy of the ‘So you think you know your customers?’ report.

200 marketing decision makers with responsibility for customer insight completed an online survey in September 2017. This was supported with an online survey amongst 2,004 UK consumers. The research was conducted by London-based research agency, Loudhouse.

CheckMEND, Crime, Fraud, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Recipero

Don’t get hung up with fraud this New Year and check for warning signs when buying a second hand phone

Mobile phone fraud prevention specialist, Recipero, part of the Callcredit Information Group, is urging consumers and retailers to undertake device checks when buying a second hand phone to avoid becoming a victim of fraud during the January sales and beyond.

Recipero’s CheckMEND data* reveals, that the number of device checks made on second hand iPhones has almost doubled in the last four years, highlighting the growth in the size of the second hand phone market and the increased awareness amongst some consumers and retailers of ensuring the legitimacy of second hand phones.

Last January there was a spike in the number of iPhone checks performed via the Recipero CheckMEND service. More than 1.3 million checks took place (more than 400,000 up on the month before) and Callcredit’s analysts are expecting upwards of two million at the start of 2018.

Mark Harman, Managing Director of Recipero, said: “Even though our findings highlight that there has been an increase in second hand iPhone device checks, fraud is prevalent in what is a market for increasingly expensive devices. Latest ONS crime figures, compiled from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, show 401,000 mobile phones were reported as stolen in the 12 month period ending March 2017. It’s important that consumers and retailers take the necessary precautions and check the history of a device.”

The Recipero data also revealed a surge in the number of searches on the CheckMEND database following the introduction of new iPhone models – as it shows the number of device checks being performed increasing by over a third (36.6%)** in the period after a new release.

Mark concluded: “A check on a second hand phone includes a device life history that starts at the point of manufacture, through ownership changes, right up to it being recycled. The device is checked against IMEI, a phone’s unique reference number, loss and theft reports and police crime reports in the US and UK, insurers title information and settled claims.
These checks provide information which will flag up (red) in a CheckMEND report if the device is compromised, helping to protect those purchasing a second hand phone from acquiring a lost or stolen device.”

*Based on CheckMEND UK data of number of checks made on iPhones each month from Jan 2014- Dec 2017 inclusive. Taken from the Recipero database which is part of the Callcredit Information Group.

**Based on the average number of CheckMEND iPhone device checks two months prior to a new iPhone launch and the average for the two months following.