Working together to fight false identity

Project Genesius is a partnership between the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the UK and the Printing Industry, designed to reduce the access of criminals to the equipment and supplies they require to produce false identity documents. Card printers can be used to produce items such as fake identity cards, driver licenses and healthcare cards, which provide support for fraudulent activity.

Project Genesius is part of the wider, Metropolitan Police’s, Operation MAXIM targeting organised immigration crime across London. Whilst the emphasis is on crimes around London, similar work is being carried out by other UK regional Police forces and by Europol, who have recently also taken an interest.

A copy of the Project Genesius “Printing equipment suspicious order profile” is attached. This gives general indicators of suspicious activity and advises of the steps organisations in the UK should undertake if alerted. We anticipate that in time, similar advice may also be issued across Europe.

As part of Zebra Technologies’ work with, and membership of, Project Genesius, we have been requested to provide Europol with names of our card printer Distributors in Europe, including telephone number and region/areas covered. We intend to provide this information as requested, however please be assured that this data is strictly confidential and will only be used for law enforcement purposes.

For further information the following links may be of interest in understanding how the operation works and its recent successes:

http://www.met.police.uk/op_maxim/index.htm
http://www.met.police.uk/op_maxim/genesius.htm