AssetWatch, CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, ClaimsCheck, Crime, eBay, Fraud, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss, Students

What can you do to minimise your risk of buying a stolen phone?

It was great to read about successful businesses in this article from the BBC about buying second-hand smartphones. 

Second-hand smartphones are good for the environment and often represent real bargains. As with any used purchase, though it is essential to take steps to protect yourself and minimise the chances of buying a dud. 

A person checking whether a smartphone has a significant used history on CheckMEND.com

Used phones may have been involved in frauds from ID theft involving bogus airtime contracts to fake retailer returns and fraudulent insurance claims.  In addition of course to the all-too-common burglary, robbery, and more serious crimes. 

What can you do to minimise your risk of buying a stolen phone?

  • Always ask the seller for the IMEI and Manufacturer’s serial number of the phone – if they have many units to sell they may not know this until actual despatch. Still, a private or small volume seller should always be able and willing to provide this. 
  • Use the numbers to run a check for yourself at CheckMEND.com. This will let you know if there is any record that the phone is lost, stolen, or the subject of an insurance claim, police report, or corporate ownership that may affect your ability to obtain the legal title. 
  • Better still, ask the seller for a copy of the CheckMEND certificate produced when they first received the phone. The best sellers do this as part of their business routinely and again will be happy to provide it. An advantage here is that you may check the certificate’s authenticity free of charge by entering its number at checkmend.com/uk/verify.
  • Confirm the IMEI and the serial number of the phone that arrives matches what the seller said they were sending. 

In a typical month, traders using CheckMEND avoid buying £35m worth of stolen property. Don’t become the second victim of a phone crime, insist on CheckMEND.

Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Mobile Phones

Back to School with £3.5 billion worth of technology

When the school gates open for the new term, it’s estimated that students bags will contain over three billion pounds worth of their favourite gadgets. A staggering average of over £270 per school bag. Such high values intensify issues associated with loss and theft requiring students to be ever more cautious. 

Schoolgirls using iPad during a lesson at a comprehensive secondary school Wales UK

To stay safe and secure, we recommend:

  • Students shouldn’t leave their phones, cameras, tablets, and other gear unattended, and when not in use, keep them securely locked away.
  • Don’t show off expensive devices, especially in public spaces. Children and young adults make easy targets for unscrupulous thieves.
  • Ensure gadgets are registered on Immobilise.com, recording the make, model and any serial numbers. Most importantly for phones, key in *#06# on the dialer to obtain the IMEI number and record that. 
  • Bikes should be kept in the school’s designated areas and kept secured with a D-lock to an immovable object such as a ground-mounted loop. Don’t forget to register the bike at Immobilise.com.
  • Consider additional marking of bikes and other items with ImmobiTAG or high visibility warning labels – particularly important if the item doesn’t have its own serial number. 

Registering your property at Immobilise.com is FREE. You can register property irrespective of any 3rd party labelling used; it’s all accepted!

For 20% off all Immobilise marking products at shop.immobilise.com, use code BACKTOSCHOOL20 at the checkout. Discount valid until 30th September 2020. 

AssetWatch, CheckMEND, ClaimsCheck, Crime, Fraud, Mobile Phones, Police, Recipero

New AssetWatch Checkmark Provides a Clear Message to Fraudsters!

Recipero are delighted to announce the availability of the AssetWatch Checkmark. Millions of articles are already protected by AssetWatch and the new Checkmark provides a clear, consistent signal to fraudsters that our clients’ property is being actively prevented from unauthorised sale. Full integration of AssetWatch with police systems, responsible second-hand traders and public due-diligence services ensures the widest possible picture of an article’s movements.

Use cases include stock leakage detection, rental or finance default potential, forward and reverse logistics losses, fraudulent claims for non-delivery and even employee theft. Overt messaging with the Checkmark lets potential bad actors know that stealing an AssetWatch customer’s property is no easy way to make money.

AssetWatch can deliver benefits for all businesses who manufacture or sell serial numbered articles or supply goods to employees such as laptops and phones. No obligation AssetWatch trials are available so you can see the ROI before you commit.

If you’re an existing AssetWatch customer and would like to use the Checkmark please contact us or your service representative directly. To read more about the AssetWatch service or Checkmark please visit our AssetWatch page.

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

You Can Impact Crime

As a result of the pandemic, the impact on the economy has been severe but there are some positives to be found – the realisation by many businesses that remote working is both feasible and productive for parts of their workforce being one and a massive albeit temporary reduction in property crime being another. It’s much riskier to burgle a property when it’s occupied. Sadly, as we all venture out, so will the thieves and property crime of all kinds will rise quickly once more.

Individuals can impact crime by simply registering their valuables and then alerting police and traders if they’re ever stolen or lost via Immobilise.com

It’s difficult as individuals to think that we can impact crime, just as it’s hard to imagine individuals fighting with a pandemic. What we have seen though is that acting as one, working together to face a problem that affects us all is effective and does make a difference. 

So it is with addressing crime. We can each take small actions to achieve big results. The key to success is ensuring that our actions are joined up.

The simple act of recording the identifying numbers, appearance and marks of your property in the right place takes a few minutes but it becomes very powerful when linked with police and second-hand property traders.

With a suspect in custody or the subject of stop & search powers, being able to attribute the property in their possession to an owner such as yourself may lead to arrest in addition to the obvious potential of your property being returned to you.

Indicating that your property is stolen on Immobilise will help the second-hand trade avoid buying your property from a thief. There are many thousands of responsible traders diligently checking every item they are offered. Turning away the seller of stolen property may not get your property back of course but it will devalue it to the thief, making the theft unrewarding and ultimately deterring the behaviour. Every check creates a footprint that puts a person at a specific place and time in possession of your property.  Valuable intelligence for the police and a valuable deterrent.

User registering an IMEI on their Immobilise account. Simply dial *#06# to reveal the 15 digit number.

If you are the victim of theft and need to make an insurance claim of course having those details readily recorded will help to expedite claims. Indeed, those same records of registration and trade also help insurers to deter fraudulent claims and less insurance fraud keeps your premiums down.

Finally, when buying second-hand, do ask the trader for evidence of them having checked their purchase. If they can’t provide that evidence –  that you should be able to verify independently as being valid – find another trader who will. This simple action encourages responsible trading and reduces crime.

You can read more about Recipero’s connected ecosystem for reducing crime here https://www.recipero.com/crime-reduction-ecosystem and you can register your property FREE of charge at https://www.immobilise.com

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, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Police, Students

immobilise Garden & Shed Security tips

With the good weather and the longer daylight hours. Now is a great time to assess your garden and shed for vulnerabilities and make improvements. Taking just a few steps can make a huge difference in keeping your home safer. Here are a few of Immobilise’s top tips;

1. Make sure your garden tools and equipment are put away every evening – and secure your shed with a good lock.
2. Security mark all property in sheds, garages and outbuildings, registering ownership FREE on immobilise.com
3. Trim hedges to limit hiding places and even plant some defensive shrubs around the perimeter fences.
4. Ensure garden items such as wheelie bins or furniture cannot be easily used to gain access.
5. Install a motion sensor floodlight and even better CCTV and/or an alarm with a visible box on the exterior of the house.

For more information on garden and shed security visit https://www.immobilise.com/ar…/garden-and-shed-home-security

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.

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property

Immobilise Park Awareness & Advice For Protecting Valuables

With the fine weather and lockdown restrictions easing we’re spending more time in the parks. Most of us own portable valuables including phones, watches, bikes, digital cameras and other tech. These don’t go unnoticed by potential thieves.

1. Always be aware of your surroundings.
2. Try not to advertise your valuables.
3. Register them on Immobilise – You’ll have more chance getting them back if ever lost or stolen.

http://immobilise.com/

Registration tip
Most gadgets have a serial number and phones have an IMEI number that you can reveal by simply dialing *#06# on your handset revealing a unique 15-digit number on-screen. These provide a ready-made ID that you can register on Immobilise as owned by you! If you don’t have an ID you can create one with one of our marking kits; https://shop.immobilise.com/immobimark-complete-property-m…/

To protect it Register it.

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