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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Cardiff, South Wales, United Kingdom, 2008/06/02 - To combat the increasing "impersonation of the deceased" (IOD) Fraud Smart ID Plus has further enhanced their mortality database with 12 million death records.
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Tracesmart Corporate, leading suppliers of consumer tracing, data cleansing, identity check solutions and the E-ID manual have ensured that they will continue to hold the UK’s most comprehensive mortality database with the acquisition of 12 million death records. Spanning 1960 – 1983, the records are to be incorporated into their online identity check and fraud prevention tool – Smart ID Plus. The addition of these records into their already unrivalled mortality database will afford users of Smart ID Plus an even greater level of protection against ‘impersonation of the deceased’ (IOD) fraud.
IOD fraud is one of the fastest growing types of identity theft in the Britain, making it crucial for businesses to protect themselves by employing an accurate identity checking service. Michael Trezise, Managing Director at Tracesmart Corporate, highlights the importance of mortality screening as part of the identity check process, "As well as the financial cost to companies, IOD fraud can cause unfathomable stress to the deceased person’s family – finding out that the identity of a loved one has been stolen after they have passed is deeply distressing. It is therefore essential that companies cross-reference customer identity against mortality records – not only to protect themselves but also safeguard the general consumer."
"Acquired from the General Register Office, the death records are held on microfiche and are in the process of being digitised prior to uploading them into the system; for this task Tracesmart Corporate have employed a third party whose stringent data-entry procedures will ensure the utmost accuracy. "The company we have chosen to digitise our records have robust procedures in place to ensure data accuracy. Each record will be double keyed by 2 different operatives and then audited by a third individual to maintain the highest levels of accuracy. This method will allow us to enjoy a 99.95% precision rating." commented Paul Weathersby, Technical Director. "Whilst this process is reasonably lengthy – completion date is early 2010 - it is absolutely vital in order to ensure data accuracy and to provide our clients with the most precise identity checking service available. The addition of these death records to our Smart ID Plus system will help prevent companies from falling victim to IOD fraud, which will inevitably not only save them money, but also protect their brand."
As well as aiding in the fight against IOD fraud, the mortality records will also be utilised in other areas of their business, such as asset reunification. "Whenever we embark on an asset reunification project, there will, inevitably, be a certain amount of owners of dormant accounts who have passed away. The more mortality data we have at our fingertips, the quicker we are able to identify these individuals and contact their executor or next of kin instead. This in-turn speeds up the reunification process benefitting both our clients and their customers." Trezise concluded.
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ipr[.]tracesmart.co.uk 
