Initiative to prevent ID fraud: online training for employees |
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Published
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Fri, 15 Apr 2005 01:00
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Financial organisations in the UK have finally decided to join forces in the battle against identity fraud which is costing the nation over £1.3 billion a year. A new portal has been launched this week, named idfraudpreventiontraining.com it's purpose to provide online training and useful information to employees of firms such as banks, telecom firms, other finance and insurance companies and the like.
The portal is an initiative by the Industry Fraud Consortium (IFC) which comprises UK financial bodies, government agencies and the police: the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS), British Bankers Association (BBA), Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee (HOIFSC) and Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) as well as the training website ‘Absolutely Training’.
| The new site is the online training version of ‘Identity Fraud – The UK Manual’ which is already being used by many banking firms. It is seen as a most welcome move by not just the members of the IFC but also by industries as well as consumers who are directly affected by identity theft and fraud.
The site provides information and best practice guidelines to prevent identity fraud. A link is also provided to the Keesing document checking portal which provides access to the worldwide database of document security.
The interactive e-learning section is designed to help improve awareness among employees who routinely have to verify the identity of new or existing customers. It would provide pointers on how to look for forged documents, how to identify counterfeiting, stolen documents, etc. There would key security features from documents such as UK driving licence, UK passport, etc. The site would also have regular updates on issues relating to frauds or thefts of identity documents as well as related statistical information.
With this online training aid financial and other firms will be better able to protect themselves from identity fraud. Organizations that are vulnerable to fraudsters would now be more secure as the site would train their staff to spot and prevent identity fraud criminals. Trained personnel would also be able to verify overseas identity documents.
The courses are modular and designed to suit the size and structure of the organization. There are courses for banking, motor finance and telecommunications companies with a different identification procedures as well as how to spot forged or stolen documents.
Identity theft, where your personal information is used by someone without your knowledge, is increasingly becoming common. One estimate says more than 100,000 people have reported cases of identity theft in the UK each year. Such thefts may be related to other criminal activity ranging from fraud, deception or even making purchases and obtaining services in your name.
The banking course includes a section for credit card issuer which explores the possibilities of internal as well as external threats. For instance, it tells the organization what to do if members of the staff are believed to be involved or colluding with outsiders in the theft or fraud. The site recommends steps by which the organisation can minimise the risks from such factors.
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