Forged Certificates

[Jamouk]

Just had a note from a gun club I belong to advising a note from Local Police force regarding someone selling a shotgun to someone with a forged cert which then ended up getting used in a serious crime ! One to watch out for

 

[maxtich]

Heck… that’s worrying indeed .
It would seem the only safest option is Rfd to Rfd transfer only!

 

[Liveonce]

was not the letter about how to spot a forgery rather than an incident using a forged certificate?

would be nice to see the original letter posted up on SD.

 

[Quixote]

Sounds as though someone somewhere is worrying over nothing. If any criminal element really wanted access to legally held firearms I can't imagine they'd go to the trouble of forging a certificate?

 

[Jamouk]

was not the letter about how to spot a forgery rather than an incident using a forged certificate?

would be nice to see the original letter posted up on SD.

Yes there was an attachment on how to spot a forgery with it

 

[Heym SR20]

Making a forgery is a criminal offence - Fraud.

Obtaining a Firearm by deception is no different to obtaining a firearm through robbery or any other crime.

Holding a firearm without a valid license is a crime in itself.

Selling a shotgun to somebody who produces an in date shot gun certificate to which you enter the details and then record to whom you have sold it to and then notify the Police is pretty much any of us can do. Very few of us have been through in depth training to be able identify fraudulent documents.

Personally I would only transfer a shotgun or rifle to somebody whom I know, or is known to somebody whom I know. Or would do it via an RFD or auction.

 

[Cogswell & Harrison]

On another forum, yes I know, it's on the internet so it must be true

"Re this Q my mate (copper) dealt with this. Basically a guy with mental health issues bought a shotgun (from a shop iirc) with a fake sgc and used it to off his dad....
Ongoing stuff so no firm details etc but that was the gist."

 

[Moose67]

Haven't heard anything directly but found this on the National Crime Agency website ...

This year, there has been an increasing amount of fraudulent copies of firearm documents being used in an attempt to unlawfully acquire legally held firearms. The National Crime Agency (NCA) need the help of firearms trade and certificate holders to prevent legal firearms being unknowingly transferred into unlawful possession and to protect the licensed firearms community from people who intend to defraud them.

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov...eats/firearms/know-your-uk-firearms-documents

 

[Dalua]

I've checked mine, and they seem to be the genuine articles. Phew!

 

[dunwater]

Oh dear, something else to be paranoid about…..

 

[Dalua]

If certain forces were a bit quicker processing applications/renewals/variations, perhaps there'd be less need for forgeries?

 

[Tallguy]

If certain forces were a bit quicker processing applications/renewals/variations, perhaps there'd be less need for forgeries?

I doubt any legal firearms holder is going to go for a forged certificate….