Recipero News
Recipero and its portfolio of services generate noteworthy news on a daily basis, below we have selected a several interesting news stories encompassing Recipero and major news about our products. For more product specific news about services such as CheckMEND and Immobilise UK/Immobilize US please visit the service websites.
If you have any queries about Recipero please contact us.
CheckMEND launch Blog (May 2008)
The CheckMEND blog aims to keep the public, retailers everyone else in the industry updated and up to speed on any online shopping crime, crime prevention topics and stolen goods statistics. To view and contribute to the CheckMEND blog please visit it at the link below:
Links:
http://checkmend.wordpress.com
www.checkmend.com
Recipero launch UK police endorsed lost property reporting system (March 2008)
The ReportMyLoss website (www.reportmyloss.com) is a free online service allowing the public to report the loss of goods or property to the directly to the police. Instead of being placed in a standalone computer system or worse a book, the loss report is immediately available to police on a national basis ensuring recovered lost property is quickly reunited with its owner. Avon and Somerset Constabulary, one of the first forces to take up the system, records approximately 42,000 loss reports each year, the introduction of the system is hoped to save the force near to 1000 staff days each year freeing finance and officers to perform other duties.
All loss reports are also flagged up on CheckMEND (the national second-hand property database), ensuring traders and buyers of used property are able to avoid handling goods which are reported as lost and may well be blocked in the case of mobile phones.
“Avon and Somerset Constabulary believes that by using Reportmyloss.com to record lost property, will be a big step forward in improving our ability to investigate lost property. It will free up a significant amount of time in our Force Service Centre and significantly improve our service to the public. The more forces that use this method for recording lost property, the better our investigative opportunities will be.”
Philippa Brett, Priority Crime Team, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Links:
www.reportmyloss.com
www.avonandsomerset.police.uk
eBay recommends CheckMEND
eBay the largest online auction web site now recommends that buyers should check the items they are buying are not listed on the MEND database via the CheckMEND service. As part of their customer care and advice service all mobile phones listed on eBay in the UK will have a link to the advice page giving buyers and sellers guidance on how to buy and sell mobile phones safely on the site.
Link: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/buy/guides/mobile-phone-advice/
The Government has launched a new £500,000 national publicity campaign aimed at tackling mobile phone crime. (July 2007)
As part of this campaign the Home Office has issued advice on its web site which includes registering on Immobilise and using CheckMEND when buying a second-hand phone. Both services are provided by Recipero. The radical adverts play on the current trend for making pictures from punctuation and distributing them via mobiles and social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace. The message is blunt: the mobile phone industry blocks stolen phones within 48 hours so buying one is a waste of money. Primarily aimed at 16-25 year-olds, the adverts will feature in magazines including Heat, Zoo and Nuts, on websites such as Ebay, Loot and Gumtree and be emblazoned on phone boxes and litter bins in youth social hotspots.
Network subscriptions in the UK have increased from 17 million to 72 million in the last eight years and although the majority of thefts occur when a handset is left unattended, mobile phones are linked to over 50% of robberies. Crime Reduction Minister Baroness Scotland said:
“ Effective and imaginative Government communications have played a key role in driving down crime by over 35 per cent over the last 10 years. By working behind the scenes with the mobile phone industry to achieve ambitious targets on blocking stolen phones and by passing legislation outlawing re-programming a mobile, we have paved the way for this savvy campaign that promises to deliver real results.”
Chairman of the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum Jack Wraith said:
“ In July 2006, the UK mobile phone industry introduced a Crime Reduction Charter to tackle mobile handset theft. One of the commitments in that Charter was to block 80 per cent of mobile handsets across all UK networks within 48 hours of them being reported as stolen. Independent testing showed that we actually achieved 90 per cent. This, we believe, sends a clear message to any thief or potential buyer that stolen mobile phones will be blocked on all UK networks and, once blocked, will be useless.”
The campaign is scheduled to run until mid-August 2007.
MEND database reaches 3 billion items of information (May 2007)
The MEND database which is the core system that houses all the data controlled by Recipero has grown so much over the last 6 months it has had to move to a new platform. Les Gray Technical Director of Recipero explains:
“ The volume and variety of data now flowing into the system from law enforcement, insurers, industry and the public continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. The incredible growth is supported by constant infrastructure and software improvements, ensuring that our users enjoy typically subsecond search response times despite a database in excess of 3 billion items.”
HMRC renew agreement with Recipero (April 2007)
HMRC have renewed the contract with Recipero to provide their database system that identifies fraudulent trading activity including carousel fraud. In addition agreement has been reached to allow Recipero to provide a checking service for traders to access the HMRC data to ensure they are not trading items that have been involved in fraudulent activity. Neil Stewart Recipero’s Commercial Director says he is delighted:
“HMRC are a very important customer and we are delighted to have reached agreement on this service. The problem of fraudulent trading across Europe is a huge issue that our service helps reduce.”
Major second-hand goods chain endorse CheckMEND (April 2007)
CEX the UK’s leading second-hand goods store specialising in consumer electronics has rolled out CheckMEND to all its stores.
“ We introduced CheckMEND throughout our 36 branches after a very successful trial of the system at three branches. We found the service to be very easy to use and has resulted in us avoiding buying stolen items, especially blocked mobile phones. It has enhanced our customer service provision, giving our customers confidence in their product purchased from CeX. So far the system has saved CeX considerably more than the cost of the service and we would recommend it to anyone buying, selling or exchanging second-hand goods.”
Sam Millen, Loss Prevention Manager, CeX.
Links:
www.cex.co.uk
www.checkmend.com
Recipero makes strategic acquisition of leading software provider (February 2007)
The Bath office of Target Corporate Finance advised Recipero on the deal, which gives Recipero 100 per cent control of ik Software Ltd and provides it with funds for expansion. ik Software Ltd has provided Recipero with its web-enabled technical infrastructure since 2000. Adrian Portlock, managing director of Recipero said:
“ The demand for our services has grown very strongly in recent months following high levels of press and TV coverage around the area of decision support; especially in the area of criminality and fraud that we are seeking to counteract. By acquiring ik Software we now have our technical resource in-house enabling us to provide faster and better updates to our systems in a fastgrowing environment.”
Neil Stewart and Les Gray, founders of ik Software commented:
“ As one of our top clients we have seen Recipero grow quickly in a very exciting space. This deal allows our staff to provide dedicated support to Recipero’s strategy and vision and will rapidly increase Recipero’s product base.”
Neil Stewart will become Commercial Director of Recipero while Les Gray becomes Technical Director. Ross Stewart will be the Non-Executive Chairman of the enlarged group. Mark Harman of Target Corporate Finance said:
“ Recipero has undergone major growth in the past few years and achieved a dominant position in the industry. However the business is still in its infancy and there is enormous potential for growth. Having helped the business through two rounds of funding since 2000 we have lived with the board through various stages of this growth. The acquisition of ik Software will provide further impetus to enable it to tap into new markets and significantly expand its customer base”
Link: Merger Information
