Issue Date: February 2010

Introduction
Identity fraud was the UK’s fastest growing crime in 2009, impacting on both individuals and businesses alike.  Research commissioned by the National Fraud Authority shows that personal identity fraud is increasing at a rapid rate with over 59,000 criminal acts of impersonation being recorded in the first nine months of last year alone¹. A recent study of fraud trends during 2008 was undertaken by CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention service.  The figures revealed that 77,600 cases of identity fraud were reported during this period including instances of both false identity and identity theft².  In addition to the impact upon the victims of fraud themselves, whether it be an individual or an organisation, it places a significant burden on the UK economy.  Although the true cost of identity fraud is difficult to measure it is estimated to be as much as £1.2 billion each year². 

Personal ID solutions
Payne Security is a leading supplier of brand protection, document authentication and personal ID solutions, with a broad range of products, systems and technologies designed to beat fraud, counterfeiters and prove personal identity. The company’s commitment to combating fraudsters has been further cemented by its ongoing partnership with the Metropolitan Police service.  The partnership called Project Genesius is a collaborative initiative between the force and the main players in the industry and is designed to prevent specialist printing equipment being obtained by those who are involved in making counterfeit identity documents. Payne Security is playing its part in the initiative by sharing the relevant intelligence it encounters with the Metropolitan Police to prevent the criminal abuse of printing equipment.

Payne Security produces a range of component materials for identification documents on an international basis as well as a range of personal ID solutions. The company supplies equipment and consumables that enable organisations to produce their own cards, to the very latest in card management services, allowing organisations such as universities, hospitals, local government and transport schemes to safely outsource their card production. 

With continued investment in both card manufacturing and fulfillment capability, Payne Security is able to offer a complete one-stop-shop facility from card design and personalisation to smartcard encoding and mailing services.  As a key player in the provision of ID printing systems, Payne recognises its responsibility to ensure the integrity of its customers and to the greatest extent possible the printing activities that they will use its equipment for. 

Industry Challenges
One of the most prominent challenges for the printing industry today is the wide availability of ID card printing systems and the potential for this access to be abused by identity fraudsters. The fact that this kind of equipment is not regulated also contributes many issues in the fight against identification fraud.  As a consequence, the Metropolitan Police Service has recorded a constant flow of ID card printers being seized in its identity fraud raids.  As such the Metropolitan Police has embraced the opportunity to work with the key suppliers of ID card printers such as Payne Security to control the availability of ID printing systems and reduce counterfeiters’ access to equipment.

Supporting the Metropolitan Police
Using Project Genesius’s code of practice, Payne Security identifies good practice in its customer profiling and alerts the Metropolitan Police to any suspicious transactions that its sales team encounters.  Payne Security raises awareness of any customer who it deems to pose a significant risk of using its equipment for criminal purposes. In order to identify individuals or businesses that may be a threat, Payne Security will draw upon the initiative’s code of practice which highlights a number of key factors that could indicate a suspicious transaction.  These criteria include retaining records of transactions, profiling customers and refusing to supply where legitimacy is questionable.  By following these guidelines Payne Security will not only assist police in disrupting organised criminal networks but will also help to maintain the reputation of the printing industry. 

Conclusion
Identity fraud is becoming an increasingly concerning issue across the UK with a steady year-on-year increase in the number of cases reported since 1999.  Payne Security is actively supporting the Metropolitan Police in its Project Genesius initiative to aid the prevention of the purchase of its printing supplies for use in fraudulent activity.  As a prominent supplier of ID printing technologies the company understands the importance of preserving the industry’s reputation and the need to exercise necessary caution to avoid the products that it supplies from falling into the hands of identity fraudsters. The disclosure of relevant intelligence that the company encounters to the police and the carrying out of good practice in the profiling of all its customers means that Payne Security is helping to make it more difficult for criminals to obtain equipment and therefore helping to minimise identity fraud through the abuse of the printing solutions that it supplies.

For more information on Project Genesius, please send an email to the following address: operationmaxim@met.police.uk

Payne Security Supports Project Genesius in the fight against one of the UK's Fastest Growing Crimes

References
1. http://www.stop-idfraud.co.uk/
2. http://www.cifas.org.uk/