Printer erases fraud risks

12:05pm Saturday 6th September 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A PRINTING company has developed paper that could prevent fraudsters using false documents to make money.

Security Print Solutions (SPS), in Consett, County Durham, has created Corporate Secure Paper.

Using watermarking, holograms, microscopic writing and invisible ink the paper, including patented technology, has already attracted international interest, with a global vehicle manufacturer using it for guarantee documents.

SPS, which employs 60 people, has also seen interest from a major high street retailer.

SPS director Graham McGuire said: “Organisations have been using different systems for securing papers, such as void appearing across a document when you photocopy it, and we have taken that on a stage further.

“The number of security features is dependent on what the customer would like. It depends how much security they want to attach to a document.

“For example, if you are producing machine parts or a retail item such as a camera or watch, you might want to put a guarantee in on some sort of certificate.”

Recognising that fraudsters will try to keep up with technology, Mr McGuire said: “There will always be someone who takes the opportunity, but what we have built into this product . . . that is very difficult to copy.”

The company works with Apacs, the payments association, helping to tackle cheque fraud.

SPS managing director Jim Crowther said: “The specialist features of Corporate Secure Paper are expected to prove a great weapon against fraudsters, deterring them from attempting to make copies of a wide range of documents.

“We can now protect certificates, warranties, legal papers and even some highvalue invoices and receipts.”

The paper has a watermark, which is put into the paper at the point of manufacture.

Holograms are an integral part of the product but to offer even greater security, the client company’s name or logo is printed over the top.

As a defence against document alteration, SPS also prints a complex security background in microscopic writing in invisible inks.

The writing cannot be seen by the naked eye and can only be viewed through an eye glass under ultra-violet light.

This feature is a proven technique which the banking industry has relied upon in its detection of cheque fraud.