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Dead-baby IDs are latest scam
29/11/2002 13:31 - (SA)
London - Criminals have stolen the identities of more than 1 000 babies who died before their first birthday, to get false passports, according to a parliamentary report.
The scam was uncovered in a police investigation, code-named Operation Wisdom, of passport office data. But a lack of resources has meant only 39 people have been arrested.
The House of Lords' European Union committee highlighted the issue in its report on illegal immigration.
They said Prime Minister Tony Blair's emphasis on curbing street crime had diverted resources away from the problem of identity theft.
The report, which was published on Thursday, said: "Several operations have indicated the scale of the problem of stolen identities, notably Operation Wisdom.
"This, using a data-matching exercise, identified more than 1 000 cases where passports, driving licenses and national insurance numbers had been issued in the names of children who had died before the age of one.
"Lack of resources in the police forces because of other priorities, not least the street-crime initiative, has prevented these findings being followed up until very recently." - Sapa-AP
- SAPA
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South Africa
