Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
WHEN THE Government introduced the taxpayer registration number (TRN) in April 1996, little did they know that it would become fair game for criminals on the hunt for important documents like passports and drivers' licenses.
But it has.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Fitz Bailey, head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Fraud Squad, getting a TRN by illegal means has become one of the biggest scams in Jamaica today.
"We've made quite a few arrests in that respect," DSP Bailey told The Sunday Gleaner.
Ricardo Campbell, registration manager at the TRN office in Kingston, says TRN fraud may be the most prevalent example of identity theft in Jamaica. He says there has been a noticeable increase in this practice during the past two years, with his office experiencing as many as five cases each month.
"What a lot of these people do is get a photo and birth certificate of another person, get a justice of the peace to sign it and take it in," Mr. Campbell explained.
IDENTICAL CREDENTIALS
Once these con artists are in possession of the TRN, they are able to obtain important documents such as a driver's license or passport. Mr. Campbell says staff at his office become suspicious when someone with identical credentials to another client comes into their office and applies for a TRN.
That is when they call in the Fraud Squad. Usually, the real 'John Brown' is caught in a sensitive position.
"We explain to them that the situation will have to be investigated by the police ... All this is done discreetly," Mr. Campbell said. "When everything is cleared up, they can get their TRN."
DSP Bailey says fraud in Jamaica has grown significantly in recent years as the criminal network becomes more sophisticated. In addition to the TRN, he notes that embezzlement and credit card rackets are the most common forms of fraud.
