Growing levels of deception by Dominic Blackburn, Head of Product, 192.com on 22-Jul-2013

A  poll of 2000 Brits found that half of the respondents have fabricated fundamental aspects of their life, including: their address, age, relationship status, job and financial solvency. One in 10 faked their address, 18% changed their age, 28% have not been truthful about their salary or debt and one in five have fabricated their online profile.

The survey also found that 45% had been conned when dealing with other people, with 12% being conned by a tradesman. Paradoxically, 10% of respondents said they would be untruthful to make money.

These findings have prompted 192.com to launch the first-ever online Background Reports service for UK residents, offering protection from deception and fraud. The Background Reports detail residential histories and cohabitees, negative financial indicators, property ownership and company director information.

The reports will help thwart the growing problem of online dishonesty and fraud, as evidenced by Facebook’s disclosure of up to 83 million faked accounts, by the sharing of official, public data. "By putting the official record into public hands, the Background Reports will offer protection from the deception that can occur in a range of circumstances, from employing a tradesman to work on your home, to renting a room, or going on a date," said Dominic Blackburn, Head of Product at 192.com.

Insolvency records and county court judgments in the Background Reports will reveal unpaid debts and mortality data will help expose identities stolen from the deceased. Address information will show details of where someone lives, has lived previously and who with.

The reports launch as the Government’s anti-fraud indicator records fraud costing individuals 9.1 billion a year. This figure is based on estimates of the scale of fraud which includes mass-marketing fraud, identity fraud, online ticket fraud and private rental property fraud.

The reports will also counter romance fraud. According to Action Fraud, romance fraud grew by 33% in 2012 and a Leicester University study in 2011 found that up to 200,000 people in the UK had been victims of dodgy dates. Among those surveyed by the University, one in 50 knew a victim.

&qout;Our Background Reports make people think twice before lying about themselves, either in a transactional or personal situation, and encourage a safer online environment," said Dominic. "As a company with a history of reuniting people, this new service is about reassuring them."

The reports can be purchased online from the: 192.com website.

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