Tag Archives: Crime Reduction Ecosystem

Are you getting the full picture?

CheckMEND is the most comprehensive device history check available; the ‘gold standard’ in due diligence.

So how does it differ from other device history reports and the basic IMEI checks you can find online?

Firstly, it’s important to note that IMEI checks are just for mobile phones. CheckMEND can search not just on IMEIs, but on serial numbers too, so it will check up on the history of tablets, laptops and a whole host of other items, as well as phones.

Most device checks – including CheckMEND – will give you the following information, when you provide them with the IMEI or serial number:

  1. Verification of the manufacturer and model of the item.
  2. Whether the device is blocked (or has ever been blocked); this usually happens after it has been reported to the mobile phone network as being lost or stolen.

Whilst this basic level of information is useful, there is so much more you need to know before buying a device second-hand, whether you’re a retailer, recycler or an individual.

View a Sample CheckMEND Report >

CheckMEND, through its links with the rest of the Recipero crime reduction ecosystem, is in a unique position to paint you a much more detailed picture of a device’s history:

Whether the item has been reported lost or stolen to us

A loss could have been reported to us directly through Immobilise (the national property register) or Report My Loss. Stolen items show up in official police records via the NMPR.

Outcome: Handling of lost or stolen goods. Even if the device isn’t currently blocked, it doesn’t mean it won’t be in the near future.

Whether the item is the subject of a settled insurance claim

A red result would indicate that the item has been shared with us as the subject of a settled insurance claim, via ClaimsCheck.

Outcome: Legal title of the item belongs to the insurer, so you cannot legally own the device.

Whether the device is a suspected clone

Phone cloning is the illegal practice of copying the identification credentials a phone uses in order to connect to a network.

An amber result indicates that the serial checked appears in multiple devices. This is usually restricted to phones. Genuine phones will never share an IMEI. It is amber rather than red because there is no way to determine which of many devices with the same IMEI is the genuine one.

Outcome: Clones are fraudulent handsets with stolen credentials, often sold by criminals to generate revenue. Text messages and calls can also be intercepted.

Whether the device is a reported counterfeit

An amber result indicates that the serial being checked is reported to us as being used in counterfeit devices. It is amber rather than red because there is no way to determine which of many devices with the same IMEI is the genuine one. 

Outcome: Typically, counterfeit goods are of inferior quality to the genuine article. They may not be fit for purpose and fake electrical goods can even be a safety risk. Buying counterfeit goods can be damaging to the economy and the sale proceeds are often used to fund more sinister organised crime.

Whether there are one or more previous owners registered

An amber result indicates that the item has been registered under at least one other previous owner, via Immobilise (the national property register).

Outcome: This would only be a concern if the item is being sold as new.

Whether the device belongs to – and is being monitored by – a corporation

A red result indicates that the device being checked is being monitored by Recipero’s AssetWatch service.

Outcome: The device is owned by a corporation, so while an individual may possess it, they may not have the right to legally sell it.

With any of these additional datasets that are checked against, if a red flag is returned then the item poses a risk to any potential buyer.

In most cases, the item cannot legally be sold on. And if you can’t legally own the item, this could pose real issues for you in the future, either during your use of the device or later down the line, if you try to sell it.

If you are selling an item and a CheckMEND search flags an issue with it that you believe to be incorrect, we are here to help. We are happy to look into records that are disputed and where possible resolve the issue, or advise on the source of a record and what action needs to be taken in order to resolve it. Please contact support@checkmend.com with the details of your search and we will investigate the issue. 

Please note: Specific traders in niche markets or geographies may be configured to include more or fewer data sources. Data sources may also vary with the class of items being checked. For enquiries please contact support.

CheckMEND: 2022 in Review

As we waved goodbye to 2022, we also took a look back at some of the headline figures from the year.

It’s incredible to think that over 4.7 million users may have bought a compromised device if they hadn’t thought to run a check on it first! 

You can find out more about our data sets and how we help to fight fraud and prevent crime by reading about Recipero’s Crime Reduction Ecosystem.

CheckMEND 2022 infographic - year in review

Pawnbrokers step up fight against crime with Recipero’s CheckMEND

npa_logoThe National Pawnbrokers Association (NPA) took another step forward in the fight against crime when it agreed to work closely with Recipero to benefit from and contribute to the Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem.

The NPA have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Recipero, to help facilitate provision of our CheckMEND history reporting service – enabling pawnbrokers across the UK to check that items being offered to them have not been reported lost or stolen.

National Pawnbrokers Association Chief Executive, Ray Perry, said:

“This is yet another step by pawnbrokers to help the police to crack down on crime”.

“We endorse the ‘Gold Standard’ whereby pawnbrokers check for ID and use UV lights to check for forensic property marking”.

“In London, we endorse the ‘Safe Seller’ scheme where pawnbrokers keep clear records so that criminals are kept away from stores. In Scotland, we are working with the police via regular meetings of our Forum to crack down on crime. Across England and Wales, we are working with the Home Office on measures to stamp out crime”.

“Now – with our agreement with Recipero – NPA members can use CheckMEND to check whether any items that enter their stores have been reported as stolen”.

“All this and more demonstrates clearly that 21st century pawnbroking has a zero tolerance approach towards crime”.

Les Gray, Operations Director from Recipero added:

“We are delighted to be working with the NPA and their members to help them trade safely through use of CheckMEND.”

“CheckMEND, as part of Recipero’s Crime Reduction Ecosystem provides risk mitigation to NPA members and by preventing the trade of stolen goods works to reduce the incentive to steal. Integration with the Police National Mobile Property Register ensures that attempts to trade stolen property are alerted to police and insurers in real-time.”

LINKS:

To learn more about the NPA please go to: www.thenpa.com

Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem services now available on G-Cloud 7 Marketplace

ukgov1-180pxAs an accredited government supplier Recipero’s intelligence solutions are now available to be procured by public sector agencies on the newly released G-Cloud 7 Digital Marketplace.

Making Recipero solutions available though the G-Cloud 7 Digital Marketplace opens up another route for UK law enforcement and other public bodies to benefit from the Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem.

For more detail please contact Recipero or visit the G-Cloud 7 Marketplace.

Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem expands to the Netherlands

ReciperoXS-logo-colour-highres-600pxWe are pleased to announce that the full Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem is now available in the Netherlands. This will allow the public and organisations that buy and sell mobile phones to trade with confidence.

The Recipero Crime Reduction Ecosystem is set for a rapid rollout as part of a joint venture between Recipero and PortingXS. The joint venture named ReciperoXS is already starting to help Dutch customers avoid the costs of handling compromised devices, protecting consumers and business alike from the costs of crime.

The Dutch focus will initially be on:

In the UK and the US, these services have proven to be highly effective in identifying and reducing mobile device crime.

PortingXS headquartered in the Netherlands, is a well respected provider of IT and Telecoms solutions throughout the world. Like Recipero, PortingXS has been established for 15 years and so brings a wealth of experience and connections that will help benefit both existing and new users.

Mark Harman, CEO of Recipero said;

The expansion of our Ecosystem to the Netherlands is a great step for Recipero. The speed of rollout has been testament to the great synergies between Recipero and PortingXS. This has enabled our teams to translate and adapt our solutions to benefit Dutch consumers, businesses and law-enforcement.

Ronald Vlasman, CEO of PortingXS said;

The platform, consisting of valuable information about mobile phones and other electronic devices, will be the link between consumers, retailers, police, insurers, banks and recyclers.

Links to Dutch websites:

ReciperoXS company website (NL)

PortingXS (NL)

Telefooncheck website (NL)

ClaimsCheck website (NL)

Immobilise Property Register website (NL)

Police NMPR website (NL)

Recipero Announces Partnership with Carolina West Wireless to Guard Against Theft and Trade of Stolen Devices

Carolina-West-Wireless-logo-362pxRecipero, a partnering member of Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), has announced that it is collaborating with Carolina West Wireless, the premier wireless carrier serving western North Carolina, to help prevent the trade and sale of stolen smartphones, including Carolina West Wireless devices.

Carolina West Wireless, a CCA carrier member, has signed on to deploy Recipero’s CheckMEND, StockWatch and FraudWatch solutions, part of Recipero’s powerful Crime Reduction Ecosystem that helps detect mobile devices that have been lost or stolen.

The use of Recipero’s CheckMEND solution will help safeguard both customers and employees from criminal activity, StockWatch monitors retail and logistics environments providing early indication inventory theft, while FraudWatch targets the growing problem of contract fraud /credit muling – helping to reduce the personal and commercial impact of crime.

In addition, consumers and law enforcement officials alike will have access to Carolina West Wireless data on lost or stolen devices through Recipero’s CheckMEND and Police NMPR solutions.

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, Carolina West Wireless can more effectively identify smartphones that have been lost or stolen and prevent them from being accepted into its buyback program.

I am pleased that Carolina West Wireless and Recipero have formed a strategic partnership to protect Carolina West’s subscribers and their property,

said Steven K. Berry, CCA President & CEO.

Protecting subscribers’ investments in their devices is a priority for CCA’s members, and I am delighted that Recipero is providing our carriers a solution to reduce mobile device theft and resale.  As the Federal Communications Commission and state regulators continue to think about the problem of mobile device theft, I hope they will look at the example that Carolina West and Recipero are setting for the industry through this solution that allows the carrier to build loyalty and protect its customers. 

Greg Post, Recipero’s President, North America said:

Our partnership with Carolina West Wireless and CCA, is a significant step in addressing the issue of cell phone fraud and theft. Carolina West Wireless will see the benefits or our crime reduction ecosystem, which we expect to rollout to other CCA members soon.

Slayton Stewart, CEO of Carolina West Wireless said:

We recognize the growing negative impact of device theft and fraud in our industry

We are committed to taking the necessary steps to protect our customers’ against the potentially harmful financial impact of this type of activity.  By deploying the solutions from our new partnership with Recipero, we will minimize this risk while protecting our customers’ financial interests.

About Carolina West Wireless

Carolina West Wireless was formed in 1991 and is owned by a partnership consisting of Skyline Telephone, Surry Telephone and Wilkes Telecommunications. Headquartered in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Carolina West Wireless provides its customers in ten (10) western NC counties with innovative technology including data and mobile services, the latest wireless equipment and competitive wireless plans that provide national coverage. For more information, visit http://www.carolinawest.com

About CCA

CCA is the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. The licensed service area of CCA’s more than 100 carrier members covers 95 percent of the nation. Visit www.competitivecarriers.org