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Passport anti-fraud measure comes to UK's smaller communities
A hi-tech weapon in the fight against passport fraud has arrived at the UK's smaller and island communities. The secure videolink allowing first time passport applicants to be interviewed by trained staff hundreds of miles away is rolling out to smaller communities and islands in Scotland, England and Wales.
The move is part of a range of anti-fraud measures introduced by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) to keep the British passport among the most secure in the world. IPS prevented around 10,000 fraudulent applications last year. The hi-tech link follows the introduction of 68 interview offices set up over the last 18 months to interview first-time adult passport applicants face-to-face in a bid to deter fraudsters.
The new service is operated in partnership with local authorities who provide premises and staff to facilitate the interviews with IPS officials at a central office. As well as a powerful fraud deterrent, videolink interviews are more convenient for the estimated 4,000 customers from far-flung communities in England, Scotland and Wales who apply for a passport each year.
Home Office Minister for Identity, Meg Hillier, said: "Face-to-face interviews are a major step forward in stopping fraudsters set on hijacking other people's identities to carry out serious crimes.However, most people are law-abiding citizens who just want a passport without fuss. Interviews by videolink will benefit thousands of people living in smaller and island communities while ensuring the British passport remains one of the most secure passports in the world."
Leader of the Dumfries and Galloway Council, Councillor Ivor Hyslop, said: "This technology will benefit the whole community by offering greater convenience to those needing a passport. We are pleased to work in partnership with the Identity and Passport Service to help offer this service while doing our bit to help fight passport fraud."
Investigations have shown that passport fraud - a growing problem worldwide - is often intricately linked with other criminal activity such as benefit fraud, illegal immigration, illegal working, drug trafficking and terrorism. The interview requirement is one of a range of measures developed by IPS to stop criminals hijacking other people's identities to carry out serious crimes.
