News

167/08 6 October 2008 0207 035 3535

DEATH RECORDS RELEASED TO TACKLE IDENTITY FRAUD

Death records are to be released for the first time to stop fraudsters using these identities to commit crime - known as Impersonation of the Deceased fraud (IOD).

Each week vetted organisations, including credit checking agencies, will be sent encrypted files, containing the details of everyone who died in the UK by the General Register Office (GRO) for England & Wales, together with its counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These files will be used to detect fraudulent activity.

IOD fraud sees criminals using obituaries, or other information to identify someone who has recently died, to build up an identity to open fraudulent bank or credit accounts.

Home Office minister with responsibility for identity fraud Meg Hillier said:

“I welcome the release of death records by the three Registrars General in the UK which will not only help to combat identity fraud but will also reduce the impact on relatives of the deceased forced to deal with the consequences of their loved ones’ identities being stolen.

“Identity fraud continues to be a serious problem which we know helps enable other criminal activity such as benefit fraud, illegal immigration, illegal working, drug trafficking and terrorism.”

Fraud protection service CIFAS believes this is one of Britain’s most common forms of identity theft which has a devastating effect on relatives who often have to spend thousands of pounds dealing with the aftermath. The latest estimate of the cost of identity fraud to the UK economy, published by the Identity Fraud Steering Committee, is £1.7bn a year.

Last month following an operation by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), a 39-year-old Edinburgh man admitted stealing the identity of a dead child to open a bank account and obtain credit cards. Over three years more than £200,000 passed through the account.

Peter Hurst, Chief Executive of CIFAS the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service said:

“The number of individuals affected continues to be far too high. The work of the Home Office through the Identity Fraud Steering Committee and continuing work programmes is therefore vital, not least because bringing together key stakeholders has already achieved much both to educate people about identity fraud and how to protect against it.

“Identity fraud is serious, and no-one should be complacent about it. Quite apart from financial losses, the effect on victims can be very distressing. Where a victim’s identity has been seriously compromised, it can be an extremely time-consuming and frustrating process to untangle the threads of deception.”

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Death registration information is being released under the Disclosure of Death Registration Information (DDRI) scheme. The Police and Justice Act 2006 conferred powers on the General Register Office (GRO) for England & Wales and its counterpart in Northern Ireland, whilst GRO in Scotland take their powers from the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006. Although the three GROs are in regular communication with each other this is the first time they have cooperated in a scheme of this nature. Together they will supply bulk information contained in any register of deaths to organisations for use in the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of offences.

2. GRO for England and Wales became a part of the Identity and Passport Service in April 2008.

3. The first organisations to complete the application process to receive their licences are Tracesmart Ltd, Synectics Solutions Ltd, Experian Ltd and Faraday Tracing Bureau Ltd. Each firm has a binding licence agreement and will be subject to a compliance regime to ensure the information is used appropriately.

4. Approximately 12,000 records a week will be made available to the four organisations. Other businesses can then submit records such as pension claims and payments, insurance claims and credit applications for processing by the licencees who will indicate if an individual concerned is deceased.

5. The All Parliamentary Group Report on Identity Fraud, published on 6 October 2007 recognised the importance of the Registrars General disclosing death information to combat IOD Fraud.

6. The Identity and Passport Service is a key partner in National Identity Fraud Prevention week. Partners include the Metropolitan Police, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), credit reference agencies (Callcredit, Equifax and Experian), Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Royal Mail, British Retail Consortium, Federation of Small Businesses, CIFAS – The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service and Fellowes. For more information log on to www.stop-idfraud.co.uk

7. For more information about the death registration scheme log on to
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/aboutus/ddri/index.asp

8. National Identity Fraud Prevention Week starts on 6 October and is supported by the Identity and Passport Service. Visit www.stop-idfraud.co.uk

9. For more information please contact Toby Nation in the Home Office press office on 0207 035 3839 or the newsdesk on 0207 035 3535.