Identity theft hits prison service

... Department of Correctional Services uncovers cases of fraud involving voters' ID and TRN cards; EOJ says fake voters' ID an ongoing problem

Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has tasked its accountants to dig deeper into its books after discovering that the identities of some employees had been stolen.

The DCS uncovered what appears to be an elaborate identity-theft scheme involving fraudulent taxpayer registration numbers (TRN) and fake voters' identification cards in the name of employees.

But some of the DCS employees have also been caught in the audit. The use of doctored payslips, boasting inflated net-pay figures, was identified by the auditors. It was clear that some employees had been falsifying salary figures on their payslips in order to qualify for loans from financial institutions that would otherwise be above their pay grade.

Lieutenant Colonel Sean Prendergast, commissioner of corrections and head of the DCS, told The Sunday Gleaner that the police would be called in as soon as the department concluded its internal investigation.

"We have evidence so far showing that some staff members' names or identities have been used to access loans that the individuals, when questioned, knew nothing about and when we contacted the financial institutions asking for the application forms and details so we can cross-check it, we found that the applicants used EOJ (Electoral Office of Jamaica)-issued ID cards with the same name of our staff members but with a different photograph, the same TRN number but the photocopied TRN card that is on the application form is different from the card being held by the actual employee," explained Prendergast.

He added: "We're just getting the details and putting a report together to pass it on to the Fraud Squad so that they can take it further. So far, we have three cases that we are investigating of that identity theft. Now, whether that theft originated in the department or not, I don't know."

Describing the situation as a serious breach, the prison boss said that he was particularly concerned about the fraudulent voters' ID cards being used in the scam.

"The biggest concern is that the EOJ ID has the same name of the staff member, to include middle name. Most of them have different dates of birth, the same TRN number but a different photograph. So the person on the application is different or looks quite different from the staff member that we have here, so there is a problem," he added.

When contacted, Orrette Fisher, director of elections and head of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), said the production of fraudulent voters' ID is an "ongoing problem".

While Fisher said he was not aware of the particular problem unfolding at the DCS, he expects the police will alert his office as soon as they are called in to probe the matter.

"We have known and so do the police that persons have been making fraudulent EOJ cards," Fisher said.

Identifying fake ids

The director of elections also revealed that the EOJ met with the Jamaica Bankers' Association last year to school its members on how to identity bona fide voters' ID cards.

"There are a number of security features missing from these (fraudulent) cards," he revealed before pointing out that it was likely that the fake cards were not being produced in-house.

"If our officers were doing it, it would be so close to the real thing," he said. Fisher also reiterated that financial institutions can call the EOJ to verify any voter ID it receives from a potential client.

Meanwhile, Prendergast also revealed that at least one employee has been interdicted and another has offered his resignation based on what has been unearthed by the process designed by the DCS to strengthen its internal checking systems.

"So far, we have had enough (to) send off one individual on interdiction pending the outcome of the investigations and we have one other member of staff who has decided to put in his resignation."

He continued: "We have accepted his resignation but that's not the end of it. When the Fraud Squad gets into it, if there is evidence against him, then they will take it from there."

While stating that he could not provide the details of the fraudulent scheme because the investigations were at a sensitive stage, Prendergast said his team has discovered that "individuals have apparently been helping other members of staff to access" loans from banks, credit unions and other financial institutions that their net pay could not afford.

The DCS is still combing through the available data to determine how many employees have been illegally aided in securing loans that their real net pay could not carry. The cases uncovered so far have shown that the fraudulent practice has been going on for at least two years.

"Individuals that we find that were taking part in this will not be able to continue serving with my department and it is something that we are handing over to the police so that criminal charges where appropriate can be laid," said Prendergast.