GB2248209A

GB2248209A - Security document with photograph

Info

Publication number: GB2248209A
Application number: GB9020814A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rajnikant Pankhania
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-09-25
Filing date: 1990-09-25
Publication date: 1992-04-01
Also published as: GB9020814D0

Abstract

A cheque, credit card or the like includes a photograph to prevent fraud. The account holder's passport type/size photograph is trimmed and stuck or held in place onto the bank credit card, embossed with the bank's authenticating stamp and then laminated with a clear or coloured plastic material (by means of heat or pressure or other suitable processes) to prevent tampering. <IMAGE>

Description

ANTI-FRAUD SYSTEM This invention relates to the Anti-Fraud System for use in banking and financial services.

Bank cheques, building society cheques, Post Office Girocheques, cheque guarantee cards, bank guarantee cards, Visa cards, Access cards, Eurocards, credit cards, building society cheque cards, shoppers budgetcards, shoppers chargecards and similar credit cards are all very quick, efficient and time saving methods of paying for goods or services purchased. In the vast majority of these transactions, very few problems arise for the users of cheques and any of the above cards.

A chequebook or any of the above cards may sometimes be lost or stolen.

The unscrupulous person then fakes the rightful owner's signature (in case of cheques) or simply uses any of the above cards to go on a fraudulent shopping spree with the result that banks and building societies lose large amounts of money.

Likewise the Post Office and building societies also lose large amounts of money when unscrupulous people steal Post Office or building society deposit/withdrawal books and then go on withdrawing money fraudulently.

Similarly, when travellers cheques are lost or stolen, the unscrupulous person fakes the rightful owner's signature and buys goods and services from unsuspecting shop owners. Hence banks and travel agents who issue travellers cheques (for example Thomas Cook travellers cheques) lose large amounts of money.

According to the present invention, if a bank chequebook, building society chequebook, Post Office Giro chequebook, cheque guarantee card, bank guarnatee card, Visa card, Access card, Eurocard, building society cheque card, shoppers budget card, shoppers chargecard or similar credit card is lost or stolen, the Anti-Fraud System will substantially reduce fraudulent withdrawal of money from the rightful owner's account.

Likewise if a Post Office deposit/withdrawal book or building society deposit/withdrawal book (passbook) is lost or stolen, the Anti-Fraud System will substantially reduce fraudulent withdrawal of money from the rightul owner's account.

Similarly if travellers cheques are lost or stolen, the Anti-Fraud System will substantially reduce fraudulent encashment of the rightful owner's travellers cheques.

The Anti-Fraud System makes use of the account holder's passport type or passport size photograph (which may be black and white or in colour) which may be trimmed to a suitable size and this passport type or passport size photogragh is then stuck or held in place, embossed with the bank, building society or Post Office authenticating stamp and then laminated with a clear or coloured plastic or similar material (by means of heat or pressure or other suitable processes, as required) to prevent tampering. Alternatively the embossing stage can be left out provided the laminating stage is sufficiently tamper proof.

The Anti-Fraud System can be used for the following banking and financial services - a bank cheque book, a building society chequebook, Post Office Giro chequebook, cheque guarantee card, bank guarantee card, Visa card, Access card, Eurocard, credit card, building society cheque card, shoppers budgetcard, shoppers chargecard, similar credit cards, Post Office deposit/withdrawal book, building society deposit/withdrawal book and travellers cheques holders. The Anti-Fraud System can also be used for a novel,separate,bank, building society or Post Office credit card that may be introduced to facilitate the rapid identification of the rightful owner of any of the above cheques, credit cards, bank guarantee cards, building society and Post Office deposit/withdrawal books.

The specific examples of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the inside front cover of a bank chequebook, building society chequebook or Post Office Giro chequebook with the Anti-Fraud System account holder's passport type/size photograph, which may be trimmed to a suitable size, stuck in place, embossed with the bank, building society or Post Office authenticating stamp and then laminated with clear plastic to prevent tampering. Alternatively, the account holder's photograph may be stuck, embossed and laminated with clear plastic either inside the back cover, outside the front or back cover or on any additional piece of paper inside the chequebook.

Figure 2 shows the front of a cheque guarantee card or bank guarantee card with the Anti-Fraud System account holder's passport type/size photograph, which may be trimmed to a suitable size, stuck in place, embossed with the bank, building society or Post Office authenticating stamp and then laminated with clear plastic to prevent tampering.

Alternatively, the account holder's photograph may be stuck; embossed and laminated with clear plastic on the back of the cheque guarantee card or bank guarantee card.

Figure 3 shows the front of a credit card with the Anti-Fraud System account holder's passport type/size photograph, which may be trimmed to a suitable size, stuck in place, embossed with the bank or building society authenticating stamp and then laminated with clear plastic to prevent tampering. Alternatively, the account holder's photograph may be stuck, embossed and laminated with clear plastic on the back of the credit card.

Figure 4 shows the inside front cover of a Post Office savings bank deposit/withdrawal book with the Anti-Fraud System account holder's passport type/size photograph, which may be trimmed to a suitable size, stuck in place, embossed with the Post Office authenticating stamp and then laminated with clear plastic to prevent tampering. Alternatively, the account holder's photograph may be stuck, embossed and laminated with clear plastic either inside the back cover, outside the front or back cover or on any additional piece of paper inside the Post Office savings bank deposit/withdrawal book.

Figure 5 shows the inside front cover of a building society savings deposit/withdrawal book with the Anti-Fraud System account holder's passport type/size photograph, which may be trimmed to a suitable size, stuck in place, embossed with the bw soM8ty authenticating stamp and then laminated with clear plastic to prevent tampering. Alternatively, the account holder's photograph may be stuck, embossed and laminated with clear plastic either inside the back cover, outside the front or back cover or on any additional piece of paper inside the building society savings . deposit/withdrawal book.

Figure 6 shows the inside front cover of a travellers cheques holder with the Anti-Fraud System owner's passport type/size photograph, which may be trimmed to a suitable size, stuck in place, embossed with the bank or travel agent's authenticating stamp and then laminated with clear plastic to prevent tampering. Alternatively, the account holder's photograph may be stuck, embossed and laminated with clear plastic either inside the back cover, outside the front or back cover or on any additional piece of paper inside the travellers cheques holder.

Figure 7 shows the front of a novel, separate Anti-Fraud System bank, building society or Post Office credit card that may be introduced to facilitate the rapid identification of the rightful owner of existing chequebooks, credit cards, bank guarantee cards, building society and Post Office savings/deposit books.

Claims

1 The Anti-Fraud System makes use of the account holder's passport type or passport size photograph (which may be black and white or in colour) which may be trimmed to a suitable size and this passport type or passport size photogragh is then stuck or held in place, embossed with the bank, building society or Post Office authenticating stamp and then laminated with a clear or coloured plastic or similar material (by means of heat or pressure or other suitable processes, as required) to prevent tampering. Alternatively the embossing stage can be left out provided the laminating stage is sufficiently tamper proof.

2 The Anti-Fraud System as described in Claim 1 can be used for the following banking and financial services - a bank cheque book, a building society chequebook, Post Office Giro chequebook, cheque guarantee card, bank guarantee card, Visa card, Access card, Eurocard, credit card, building society cheque card, shoppers budgetcard, shoppers chargecard, similar credit cards, Post Office deposit/withdrawal book, building society deposit/withdrawal book and for travellers cheques holders.

3 The Anti-Fraud System as described in Claim 1 and Claim 2 can also be used on a novel, separate, bank, building society or Post Office credit card that may be introduced to facilitate the rapid identification of the rightful owner of existing chequebooks, credit cards, bank guarantee cards, building society and Post Office deposit/withdrawal books.

4 The Anti-Fraud System substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawing.