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Caithness.org News Bulletins -  October 2002
October 2002 Index

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THUMBPRINT SIGNATURE SCHEME ONE YEAR ON - A Big Success
At the beginning of October 2001, the Thumbprint Signature Scheme was launched in the Town House, Inverness. The launch was attended by all the supporting agencies namely:
The Inverness Chamber of Commerce
The Eastgate Victorian Market Traders
The Eastgate Centre Management
The Inverness Crime Prevention Panel
The Inverness City Centre Management
Federation of Small Businesses
The Licensed Trade Association.
Northern Constabulary
As a result of the initial success, a seminar was held in May at the Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club Stadium which attracted almost 90 delegates from all over Scotland. Due to this seminar and continued analysis of the scheme, similar schemes have now started in the
following towns/areas;
Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Falkirk, Forres, Keith, Buckie, Boness, Lanark, Leith, Royal Mile (Edinburgh) with the south of Aberdeen to start shortly.

Within the Highlands and Islands schemes now operate in Nairn, Dingwall, Alness, Fort William,
Invergordon, Tain and Stornoway.

In the first ten months of the scheme, Inverness has seen a reduction in the numbers of incidents
involving credit card fraud by a staggering 81.2%. The thefts of handbags, purses and wallets
has also reduced by 54.5%.  As there are far fewer premises where stolen credit cards can be used
as a result of the initiative, this makes Inverness a safer place to shop.  Within Ross-shire fraudulent cheque and credit card incidents have fallen by 83.3%.

As a result of the scheme, one man was identified after using a stolen credit card on numerous occasions and entering a participating store where a thumbprint was requested.  The man provided
a thumbprint and as a result a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal, Inverness once the thumbprint was positively identified by the Scottish Criminal Records Office. A similar case is also pending in relation to a stolen cheque book.

A thumbprint has been sent for analysis after a man signed in at a guest house using a thumbprint signature and then left without paying the outstanding bill.  The concept has been tabled at the Scottish Parliament by Fergus Ewing MSP and has been supported by numerous other MPs/MSPs throughout Scotland.  The scheme has proven that when a community comes together and supports such initiatives that crime can be tackled effectively and that the only one to fear with such innovations is the criminal.  The city of Inverness has shown the rest of Scotland that it is at the cutting edge in relation to
fraud reduction and will continue to do so as more and more businesses join the scheme. (Over
350 have joined to date)

For further information on the scheme, contact Constable Fowler, Crime Prevention, Inverness