This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Combating identity fraud
13/12/2006
A joint consultation paper on proposals aimed at stopping fraudsters from using the identities of dead people has been issued today by the Registrars General for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Identity fraud, of which Impersonation of the Deceased (IOD) fraud is a type, costs the UK economy in excess of £1 billion a year.
Fraudsters can obtain sufficient information to impersonate the deceased before organisations with which the deceased had financial dealings become aware of the death.
Under the Police and Justice Act 2006 and the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006, the Registrars General can disclose death registration information to assist in the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of offences.
The Registrars General are seeking views on how the information should be released.
Death registration information is in the public domain as soon as a death is registered, however it is not currently provided in a format that can be easily used to assist the police, other law enforcement bodies and public and private sector organisations to deal with offences and identify cases of attempted fraud by criminals using the personal details of the deceased.
The timely disclosure of death information in an electronic format will not only help to combat Impersonation of the Deceased fraud, but will also reduce the impact on relatives of the recently bereaved who have to deal with the consequences of the identity of their loved ones being stolen.
The consultation document sets out proposals for the administration of the scheme, with the intention that it is in place for Summer 2007.
Responses are due by March 6, 2007.
The three General Register Offices (GROs) are independent of each other, governed by separate legislation and accountable to different parts of government within the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the GROs have a common purpose, many similar processes and, within each jurisdiction, the local registration service is administered in partnership between the GRO and local government.