The Resolution To Identification Fraud

I actually respect readers of our weblog, hopefully you’ve come right here to shoot down the declare within the title. I do know I’d if I noticed it randomly on Twitter. I’d drive to that individuals home and argue why it was naive.

‘The solution to identity fraud’ what an announcement! critically flawed, because it’s unlikely there may be one single resolution to id fraud. It’s the sort of assertion that comes earlier than the snake-oil gross sales pitch. It’s the alluring outlandish sentence designed to drive gross sales and funnel you to the gross sales group in pleasure. Folks in our business make empty claims like this on a regular basis.

So final week once I was on a policing webinar, sharing my tricks to keep away from banking frauds to 100 or so North Yorkshire residents, an outdated boy pipes up on the decision that he has solved id fraud you’ll be able to see why I used to be skeptical.

Yeah, let me test that declare for you mate…

I forgot in regards to the webinar and drifted off into just a few Google searches once I ought to have been listening. The declare was a easy one, he really stated “My name is Jamie Jamieson, I have solved identity fraud, just Google ‘Jamie Jamieson identity fraud’, thank you.”

So I did simply that…

I’m met with credible interviews, the Guardian, the BBC, MoneyBox and ZDNet. He definitely has been peddling this concept for just a few years. I dug deeper into the articles and the Walter Mitty character in my head dissolved. Jamie had spent 25 years with GCHQ. His thought was credible and from a fast evaluation in my head, it was authorized, it could possibly be sensible… the thought and daring declare could possibly be actual. There was positively no snake-oil gross sales pitch!

I returned to the webinar and as awkward because it was defined that I’d like to fulfill him and discuss extra about this concept. So we exchanged particulars and did simply that the next weekend.

Who’s Jamie Jamieson?

So I did drive to his home in the long run. As I sat down after arriving at his seaside residence, I started to hearken to his story. Three hours later, I can actually say Jamie is likely one of the most attention-grabbing individuals I’ve had the pleasure to fulfill. He’s somebody that has squeezed life for all it has to supply. I wish to inform you each final element that was shared however I received’t out of respect for his previous and profession. I’ll say Jamie is an knowledgeable submariner with a Navy background. A Bletchley educated radios and communications whizz. He is aware of morse code ‘betterer’ than I do know English.

Over a raspberry brownie, we performed satan’s advocate together with his anti-fraud thought.

I left that day realizing his thought has the potential to vary how we take a look at id fraud. It’s in all probability one of the simplest ways as a nation we may flip the tables on id fraud. Is it the answer to id fraud? nicely to offer him his dues, the thought is nearer to the sure finish of the spectrum than the no finish.

Thumbprints & Signature

On the floor his thought is sort of fundamental. You urge individuals so as to add a Discover of Correction to their credit score file that asks lenders to request a thumbprint once you signal a contract. From that time on, new contracts needs to be signed as traditional and you’ll now be requested by the lender to mark the signature space along with your thumbprint to show it’s you. The system seems like a ‘freeman of the land’ sort affair and I beloved selecting holes in all of it. Once I did although I solely trusted the thought extra and located below the floor was a fairly strong framework that might alter legal responsibility within the occasion of a fraud.

Folks don’t need you storing all their prints in your ex-spy GCHQ database dude! – The system doesn’t use a central database of fingerprints to work. In truth, if a fraudster utilized for credit score and was silly sufficient to mark it with their very own thumbprint you can give that to the police and they’d test it towards IDENT1, the official nationwide database for finger prints. Your prints are throughout credit score purposes anyway, if $EvilCorp needed them they may simply use a children fingerprint equipment to get them.

Fraudsters received’t be that dumb and simply thumbprint a fraudulent contract?! – Nice. We agree that it’s preventative then…

OK, I’ll simply steal your id and head to the outlets, how will it make it easier to then? – I will request the contracts from the lender and convey their consideration to the actual fact there isn’t any thumbprint. Then I’ll electronic mail the lender and make them conscious of the discover and the actual fact they’ve acted negligently.

However… whats to say the lender has even learn your particular Discover of Correction? – The regulation states a lender MUST learn the discover of correction if one is added to an candidates credit score file. They don’t need to motion it or comply with it’s instructions… however they need to learn it.

So is that this about fraud legal responsibility or fraud prevention? Each, the thought may forestall fraud and in addition make it easier to show your innocence must you change into a sufferer of id fraud.

If that is such an incredible thought, why have the large credit score reference businesses not carried out it? They do… Equifax has a similar system nevertheless it solely makes use of a password, which could be seen by all lenders… a thumbprint is healthier. In addition they all promote a competing product within the types of id theft safety so I can’t think about an enormous rush for them to cease hundreds of thousands of kilos in income.

That jogs my memory ‘CIFAS’, there may be already a scheme for this! – CIFAS, because the title implies is the Credit score Trade Fraud Avoidance System. Not yours. It’s a scheme that lenders can be part of to see if you’re a threat to them. Their objective is to assist lenders make knowledgeable decisions about lending. When a fraud is noticed, or a lender simply believes you might have been a goal for fraud, a marker is positioned in your credit score file. It’s not a proactive system until you pay for this service, and even then a fraudster can nonetheless receive credit score if they will show your ID with stolen paperwork. CIFAS say it received’t cease you getting credit score and a CIFAS marker received’t harm your credit score rating… however individuals with one (and the financial ombudsman) say otherwise. CIFAS doesn’t switch legal responsibility – why would the credit score business assist a system that pins negligence on their pals.

Does this even work? Jamie has had no issues within the 15 years he has had the marker, he recited the time he took a journalist all the way down to a telephone store and the applying was made as traditional in retailer. Mid utility, the pc stated no and the workers within the retailer needed to ring the finance division. A couple of minutes later the shop assistant requested Jamie to mark the doc together with his thumbprint and the method carried on OK. Jamie has additionally had an identical thought trialled in Inverness the place outlets requested for a print when individuals used to signal for purchases. Fraud dropped 84.3%.

Arghhh that seems like friction although – Though minor, sure. The friction may also be factor. As with all Discover of Corrections, automated programs have to attend for a human to assessment the applying. This can imply in retailer a telephone name is made by the assistant. It signifies that on some on-line purposes the lender will ship you a contract within the publish or request you print, thumbprint, scan and electronic mail them again.

So is that this for everybody? In case you are the sort of particular person to get a brand new contract a number of occasions every week then chances are you’ll not like ready that further couple of minutes for a mortgage or new telephone. Folks need to determine themselves if the good thing about stopping ID fraud outweighs the gentle inconvenience.

Let’s convey this to life

Jamie had his thought in all of the papers just a few years in the past, he has been on TV… however the thought isn’t frequent data. I’ve by no means heard the police point out it. To the typical bod on the street it sounds sophisticated and complicated.

We agreed that The AntiSocial Engineer will champion the scheme and provides it the place to stay that it deserves. Clarify the method, make it straightforward to motion and lower by the problems for individuals. We may also by no means cost for MyPAS.

So after every week of planning and a few nifty web-dev we’ve carried out simply that. The thought now has a reputation, a emblem, it has a brand new webpage and hopefully this may assist the adoption of the thought. Past this although we’ll work on this challenge over the next 12 months within the background. We want credit score reference businesses to assist us combine Jamie’s thought into their web sites and processes and we all know the challenge is barely simply starting.

MyPAS – My Print Authenticated Signature

If you need to know extra about MyPAS, seize the paperwork and get protected please go to https://TheAntiSocialEngineer.com/MyPAS