Most readers will by now be familiar with the campaign by the NCA (National Crime Agency) to prevent or at least reduce firearms document fraud, known as Project RUTIC. In summary, this encourages those in the trade and individual certificate holders to look out for the following signs that a certificate presented to them is genuine before proceeding with a transaction;
- Always ask to see the original rather than accepting a photocopy
- In the case of firearm and shotgun certificates, check that the photograph of the bearer resembles the person presenting it to you.
- Check that the certificate is printed on the correct paper; blue paper for firearm and RFD certificates, and buff (beige) paper for shotgun certificates
- Verify the layout of the certificate is correct by comparing it to your own - Look for the watermark, a stylised @ symbol, engrained in the paper
- Use an ultraviolet light to check for the additional hidden features which should then be visible in yellow on the front of the certificate and in blue on the reverse
- If anything doesn’t seem quite right, check with the issuing Force or your local firearms licensing department before proceeding with the transaction, the police should thank you for your caution
The various security measures integrated into firearms documents make it more difficult, although not impossible, for fraudsters to produce counterfeit certificates, or to forge them by changing the original photograph or other details.
However, a slightly different issue, which seems to be a growing problem the trade is experiencing, is where a copy of a genuine and valid certificate is presented for the purposes of completing an online transaction, but it is sent to you by someone other than the certificate holder, and is being used without the certificate holder’s knowledge or permission, i.e. fraudulently. This has been a particular issue with purchases made through online marketplace sites, a key example being Gungle, which has apparently been linked to quite a number of complaints. I checked their website at the time of writing this article, and some readers will no doubt be relieved to learn that this site now appears to be defunct.
There have been numerous reports of certificate holders being defrauded whilst purchasing firearms or shotguns through such online platforms which appear to be being advertised by genuine sellers. Having parted with his hard earned cash, the purchaser then asks for the firearm to be delivered to his local gun dealer, who in turn emails his RFD certificate to the seller as proof of his authority to acquire. However, the firearm never materialises, and to boot the dealer who agreed to receive the firearm for the purchaser later discovers that the copy of his RFD certificate which he supplied is now being used by somebody else purporting to be him. So what can you do to avoid finding yourself in the situation?
In short, be extra vigilant with any transaction involving an online platform, but also in any situation where you are not absolutely sure who you are dealing with. Even if the RFD certificate presented to you is from a dealer you are familiar with, if you do not recognise the name, phone number or email address of the person who sent it to you, that should be an alert to carry out extra checks. Make direct contact with the dealer named on the certificate to check if it really was one of their employees who sent it to you before you supply a copy of your own RFD certificate. Virtually everyone in the trade would be grateful to you for taking the time to check, and it might save you from becoming the victim of a fraud.
Consider drawing a comparison with your passport. If you received a request from someone you didn’t know to email them a copy of your passport, would you just agree without questioning at all who they are?
If you do discover that your RFD certificate appears to be being used by someone without your authority, you should notify your local firearms licensing department and also formally report it as a crime. Misuse of your certificate by another with a view to their own financial gain would constitute at least one criminal offence of fraud, the most likely being either fraud by false representation or possession of an article for use in fraud. If you have a customer who has been defrauded out of money for a firearm that was supposed to be delivered to you, but never arrived, encourage them to make a report to the police too. It’s more likely the police will feel obliged to act if both of you make a detailed report.
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