GB2228231A

GB2228231A - A device for discouraging fraud

Info

Publication number: GB2228231A
Application number: GB9002096A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Gordon Frederic Pollock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-02-04
Filing date: 1990-01-30
Publication date: 1990-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2010-01-30
Also published as: GB2228231B; GB8902516D0; GB9002096D0

Abstract

A device for discouraging fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft, comprises a pocket (11) for receiving a document, such as a cheque, credit card voucher, withdrawal demand slip, or airline ticket, a finger print pad (16) on the exterior of the pocket, and an openable or removable cover (12) overlapping the finger print pad to preserve finger prints applied thereto. The pocket is made of transparent or translucent material so that a document contained in the pocket can be viewed and an anti-tamper device is provided to prevent or indicate any unauthorised attempt to open or remove the cover once a person's finger prints have been applied to the finger print pad. <IMAGE>

Description

"A device for and a method of discouraging fraud or the like" This invention relates to a device for and a method of discouraging fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft.

The incidence of fraud is enormous particularly in the field of cheque payments and credit card transactions. Also, of late, there have been a number of terrorist attacks on aircraft carried out by the concealment of bombs on aircraft and in aircraft luggage. The invention seeks to reduce the incidence of fraud and other crimes by making it easier to identify an offender with a result that would-be offenders are deterred.

In a first aspect, the invention resides in a device for discouraging fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft, comprising a pocket for receiving a document, such as a cheque, credit card sales voucher, withdrawal demand slip, or airline ticket, a finger print pad on the exterior of the pocket, and an openable or removable cover overlying the finger print pad to preserve finger prints applied thereto.

A supply of such devices could be kept, inter alia, in banks, retail outlets -and/or at airline checkin counters. When, for example, a customer cashes a cheque at a bank, the bank teller can place the cheque in the pocket, open or remove the cover, and ask the customer to apply his/her finger prints to the finger print pad. These finger prints can then be preserved by closing or replacing the cover and the device together with the cheque can be passed for clearance.

Should a criminal offence relating to the transaction be suspected, the finger prints will be available to investigators. The device can also be used for many other transactions both in banks and retail outlets, and it can also be used at airline check-in counters to retain the airline copy of a passenger's ticket and preserve a passenger's finger prints therewith.

Preferably, the pocket is of transparent or translucent plastics material so that a document contained in the pocket can be viewed.

Preferably, the finger print pad is provided with an appropriate chemical coating or a slightly adhesive surface to retain an imprint of a person's finger prints while leaving the person's fingers free of messy residue.

Advantageously, the finger print pad is surrounded by a raised border.

Preferably, the cover is in the form of an openable flap attached along one edge to the pocket.

In a second aspect, the invention resides in a method of discouraging fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft, by taking an imprint of a person's finger prints and keeping this imprint with a record of, or a document evidencing, a financial transaction, airline check-in procedure, or the like.

Preferably, the method according to the second aspect of the invention is performed with a device according to the first aspect of the invention.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a device according to the first aspect of the invention, with the cover shown in an open position, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1 with the cover removed for reasons of clarity.

Referring to the drawings, the device shown therein is in the form of a wallet 10 having a stiff pocket 11 and a closable (or removable) flap 12.

The pocket 11 is formed from two overlying sheets 13 and 14 of transparent or translucent, heavy gauge plastics material secured together along two opposite side edges and along one end edge leaving the other end open to permit a document to be inserted therein. The said other end of the plastics sheet 13 has a small central cut-out 15 to facilitate separation of the sheets 13 and 14 prior to the insertion of a document in the pocket 11. The external surface of the sheet 13 is provided with a finger print pad 16 surrounded by a raised border 17 and the cover in the form of closable flap 12 is attached to one end edge of the pocket 11 by crimping.

The finger print pad 16 has a colourless chemical coating or slightly adhesive layer to retain a person's finger prints and the flap 12 normally overlies the pad 16 to protect the pad and preserve finger prints applied thereto.

The pocket 11 and flap 12 are of substantially equal dimensions, but the flap 12 has a projecting tab 18 at one corner in order to facilitate opening of the flap 12. Although the pad 16 as shown is of appropriate dimensions to receive the finger prints of only one hand, it may be desirable to dimension the pad to receive the finger prints of both hands of a person.

The raised border 17 is provided to lessen the contact between the pad 16 and the flap 12 so as to minimise damage which the flap may otherwise cause to the preserved finger prints.

The wallet 10 can be used to discourage fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft, by keeping an imprint of a customer's/passenger's finger prints with a document evidencing a financial transaction, airline check-in procedure or the like.

For example, a supply of such wallets can be kept in banks and each time a financial transaction is made the document evidencing the transaction, e.g. a cheque or withdrawal demand slip, can be placed in the pocket 11 of one of the wallets 10 and the customer can be asked to apply his/her finger prints to the pad 16. The finger prints (shown at 19 in Figure 2) can then be preserved with the transaction document so as to be available to investigators in the event that a criminal offence connected with the transaction is suspected. A store of wallets can also be kept in retail outlets to preserve a customer's finger prints with a credit card voucher or at airline check-in counters to preserve a passenger's finger prints with the airline's copy of passenger's ticket for identification of an offender if an offence is committed in transit by air.

The wallet 10 is provided with an antitamper device to prevent or indicate any unauthorised attempt to open or remove the cover 12 once a person's finger prints have been applied to the pad 16. The anti-tamper device takes the form of a highly adhesive strip 20 (shown in Figure 2) around three sides of the the raised border 17. This strip 20 is covered by a peel back strip 21 which is removed prior to closing the cover 12 once a person's finger prints have been applied to the pad. Any attempt to open or remove the cover 12 will then become visibly apparent.

It will of course be appreciated that in order to require a customer/passenger to apply his/her finger prints to the pad, legislation will be necessary, but in the event that legislation is not enacted there is no reason why the devices could not be introduced on a voluntary basis as this would then place less emphasis on the need to check the identity of a person who voluntarily provides his/her finger prints.

It is envisaged that other ways of preserving finger prints with a transaction document could be devised and the invention in its second aspect is not, therefore, confined to the use of a device having a pocket provided with a finger print pad, and a protective cover for overlying the finger print pad. It is, however, highly desirable that the finger prints and the document evidencing the transaction should be kept together to retain the evidential link and avoid a miscarriage of justice, although in some cases this may not prove convenient and in that case some record of the document will need to be kept with the finger prints.

Claims

1. A device for discouraging fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft, comprising a pocket for receiving a document, such as a cheque, credit card sales voucher, withdrawal demand slip, or airline ticket, a finger print pad on the exterior of the pocket, and an openable or removable cover overlying the finger print pad to preserve finger prints applied thereto.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pocket is of transparent or translucent plastics material so that a document contained in the pocket can be viewed.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the finger print pad is provided with a chemical coating or an adhesive surface to retain an imprint of a person's finger prints while leaving the person's fingers free or substantially free of messy residue.

4. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the finger print pad is surrounded by a raised border.

5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover is in the form of an openable flap attached along one edge to the pocket.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an anti-tamper device to prevent or indicate any unauthorised attempt to open or remove the cover once a person's finger prints have been applied to the finger print pad.

7. A method of discouraging fraud or other crimes, such as terrorist attacks on aircraft, by taking an imprint of a person's finger prints and keeping this imprint with a record of, or a document evidencing a financial transaction, airline check-in procedure, or the like.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, performed with a device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

9. A device for discouraging fraud or other crimes, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. A method of discouraging fraud or other crimes, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.