Geezah
02-02-2006, 11:10 AM
Identity fraud now costs Britain £1.7 billion a year, Home Office minister Andy Burnham announced.
The cost of stolen credit cards and other forms of fraud was last estimated at £1.2 billion in 2002.
Mr Burnham said the increase underlined the case for the Government's controversial ID cards scheme.
"One of the major breakthroughs that they will bring is the link with a personal biometric, that being a fingerprint or an eye scan," he said.
"Once you link personal facts and figures - address, name, date of birth - to a unique personal stamp, people will have much greater control over the issue of their identity. In fact, that will be the key to use of their personal details."
There have been suggestions that ID cards could make the situation worse rather than better.
"Of course it has got to work. Those questions will rightly be asked and the onus is on us to make it work," Mr Burnham told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"But what we have got to look at is the situation here in Britain today. And my argument is, it is the lack of high standard identification documentation that is providing this environment in which identity fraud can rise.
"The fact is that we have all kinds of stand-in documents being called on as identity documents - birth certificates, utility bills - the truth is they don't prove identity. It is in this situation we have this growing problem."
Mr Burnham added: "The thing about the biometric is people can only register one identity and one of the points about identity fraud is people can and do register multiple identities. "And that supports a range of criminality right across the piece, from money laundering right the way through to terrorism. That is the problem we have to bear down on."
Link (http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/PA_NEWA20922231138866214A0?source=PA%20Feed)
Do they really think that by having an identity card this will cut down on CC fraud, I currently carry two forms of ID(drivers license and CCW) and my SAMs Club card that could probably be a third if really needed. CC fraud still goes on, so I don't knwo who they are trying to kid here.
I hate the idea of all this biometric crap, it scares me that the UK is getting closer to a real life Oceania.
Anyway, question for the Brits on here, as this will be optional for the moment, how many Brit members here will apply for an ID card???
The cost of stolen credit cards and other forms of fraud was last estimated at £1.2 billion in 2002.
Mr Burnham said the increase underlined the case for the Government's controversial ID cards scheme.
"One of the major breakthroughs that they will bring is the link with a personal biometric, that being a fingerprint or an eye scan," he said.
"Once you link personal facts and figures - address, name, date of birth - to a unique personal stamp, people will have much greater control over the issue of their identity. In fact, that will be the key to use of their personal details."
There have been suggestions that ID cards could make the situation worse rather than better.
"Of course it has got to work. Those questions will rightly be asked and the onus is on us to make it work," Mr Burnham told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"But what we have got to look at is the situation here in Britain today. And my argument is, it is the lack of high standard identification documentation that is providing this environment in which identity fraud can rise.
"The fact is that we have all kinds of stand-in documents being called on as identity documents - birth certificates, utility bills - the truth is they don't prove identity. It is in this situation we have this growing problem."
Mr Burnham added: "The thing about the biometric is people can only register one identity and one of the points about identity fraud is people can and do register multiple identities. "And that supports a range of criminality right across the piece, from money laundering right the way through to terrorism. That is the problem we have to bear down on."
Link (http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/PA_NEWA20922231138866214A0?source=PA%20Feed)
Do they really think that by having an identity card this will cut down on CC fraud, I currently carry two forms of ID(drivers license and CCW) and my SAMs Club card that could probably be a third if really needed. CC fraud still goes on, so I don't knwo who they are trying to kid here.
I hate the idea of all this biometric crap, it scares me that the UK is getting closer to a real life Oceania.
Anyway, question for the Brits on here, as this will be optional for the moment, how many Brit members here will apply for an ID card???