National campaign launched to tackle firearm certificate fraud

[Conor O'Gorman]

In response to a surge in firearm certificate fraud, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has launched a campaign under Project RUTIC to prevent the illegal acquisition of firearms and ammunition.

The NCA campaign focuses on educating firearm and shotgun certificate holders about key security measures during private firearms transfers.

Click the weblink below for more details:

National campaign launched to tackle firearm certificate fraud

The NCA launched a campaign to tackle a surge in firearm certificate fraud and stop the illegal acquisition of firearms and ammunition.

basc.org.uk

 

[Greenmist]

Why not update the actual licence to something from the 21st century and not the cheapest printer from temu

 

[bottletopbill]

Make it a ten year ticket and some thing like the BASC training card

 

[Druid]

Why not update the actual licence to something from the 21st century and not the cheapest printer from temu

Absolutely!

Reading the advice in the BASC link does emphasise that with the current certificates it’s going to be difficult to tell a wrong un.

A. Always inspect the original firearm certificate, ensuring it is printed on authentic certificate paper and verifying its security features.

What security features? It’s hardly a secure document like a passport. It’s printed paper with nothing special.

B. Beware of buyers offering suspiciously high sums of money for firearms.

People are struggling to sell guns and are having to drop prices to get any interest so this seems unlikely. Presumably they would offer at or near the advertised price rather than over the top?

C. Compare firearm certificates to ensure consistency in layout and verify the photograph matches the buyer.

Hmm, I’ve seen quite a few differences in layout in certificates from different counties and even the same county as my own.

This shows how frighteningly out of date the current system is in yet another aspect.

 

[bottletopbill]

Do we know any person who as fell foul of this scam.
And what was the outcome to the licensed holder did they have any negative feed back from the police .
Lets hope us and the police can stop this from any more incidents

 

[Tazz]

Why not update the actual licence to something from the 21st century and not the cheapest printer from temu

Good point, something like a driving license style credit card with chip and inbuilt data chip with your details embedded. We shooters still appear to be operating in a world prior to computers

 

[Apthorpe]

I think the National Crima Agency would have more effect on this alleged problem if they instead directed their efforts towards educating the Home Office and Police to have a certificate system fit for purpose, instead of the shambles of paper and unnecessary fabricated conditions and variations which occupies so much police time to the general detriment.

 

[paul dillon]

If the construction industry can bring out the CSCS & CPCS smart cards with all the information about what training and experience you have with a single swipe I am sure that the firearms department should be able to

 

[mealiejimmy]

How big is this "surge" in fake certs?
1, 10, 1000, 1000
And over how long a period ?
Without some numbers, the risk can't be assessed

Cheers

Bruce

 

[webley701]

Good point, something like a driving license style credit card with chip and inbuilt data chip with your details embedded. We shooters still appear to be operating in a world prior to computers

In the scenario of let’s say a private sale how would you propose that be recorded at the time of sale?

 

[Greenmist]

In the scenario of let’s say a private sale how would you propose that be recorded at the time of sale?

Either via an app or even email, the exchange could also take place at an RFD, with my banking app I can authorise payments to other accounts and pay in cheques without presenting the cheque to the bank. Why not the transfer of firearms in a similar way?

 

[Donkey Basher]

In the scenario of let’s say a private sale how would you propose that be recorded at the time of sale?

I haven’t got one so not 100% sure, but isn’t the driving licence in 2 parts? - a plastic card & a paper counterpart? Same could easily be done with FAC & SGC, once you’ve bought you get it written on the paper part, email FLD & they issue a new card & you cut the old one up like you do you bank card(s).

 

[charlie222]

I agree with looking at the scale of the problem, or non problem. I can't imagine organized crime bothering, they'd just drive a jcb thru the wall of a RFD?

 

[Tazz]

In the scenario of let’s say a private sale how would you propose that be recorded at the time of sale?

As you do with secure portals update the data base for the buyer and the seller, in a world of contactless payments and secure data bases it would be fairly straightforward to develop and save lots of admin, FAC/SC is still in the 19 century

 

[Greenmist]

I agree with looking at the scale of the problem, or non problem. I can't imagine organized crime bothering, they'd just drive a jcb thru the wall of a RFD?

Not worth the agro when they can get handguns from within their community, no one ever seems to wonder why handgun crime is more or less constant when all handguns were accounted for after they banned them

 

[Apthorpe]

This is clearly a prelude to banning private transactions outright, and I hope BASC is aware of this probability, rather than "welcoming" yet another incoming hostile salvo

 

[Basil H]

I would guess this is a scare campaign to roll the pitch for fee increases. By the way the BASC link refers to firearms certificates but is illustrated by pictures of O/U shotguns. I know the rest of the world doesn't the difference. but.....

 

[finnbear270]

Sorry mate, you don't have the correct slot on this ticket.

 

[Elshad]

I haven’t got one so not 100% sure, but isn’t the driving licence in 2 parts? - a plastic card & a paper counterpart? Same could easily be done with FAC & SGC, once you’ve bought you get it written on the paper part, email FLD & they issue a new card & you cut the old one up like you do you bank card(s).

The paper component of the driving licence was abolished in June 2015.

I think I must’ve been one of the last people ever to have received one as I passed my test in April 2015

 

[Donkey Basher]

The paper component of the driving licence was abolished in June 2015.

I think I must’ve been one of the last people ever to have received one as I passed my test in April 2015

That makes me feel old… I still have a paper licence, never had a plastic one!