CheckMEND statistics & facts
Millions of cell phones are lost and stolen every year
An estimated 600,000 cell phones will be reported lost or stolen this year. If your phone lands in the wrong hands, you're not only saying goodbye to all your contacts but you're potentially facing a very high phone bill. Some victims report having received bills for more than $25,000 after their phone was stolen.
Better Business Bureau - 11 June 2007
CheckMEND is the biggest database of it's kind in the world
With over 100 million records of information that are relevant to purchasers of second hand goods ranging from iPods to bicycles CheckMEND is the largest database of its kind in the world. The service currently does over 1 million checks a months and one in ten checks returns information that assists the buyer in making an informed decision about their possible purchase.
Adrian Portlock, Recipero Ltd - 11 June 2008
Warning given to online shoppers
The National Retail Federation, a trade group based in Washington D.C., has issued a warning to consumers urging caution in buying household items on Internet auction sites. This type of awareness is going to make consumers more hesitant about buying anything online, especially high priced goods.
National Retail Federation - 20 February 2008
GPS crime in vogue
Some 5.8 million personal navigation devices were sold in the U.S. in 2007, according to NPD Group, and their theft is on the rise. Like iPods and laptop computers before them, the pricey gadgets have become the newest high-tech target. Yet even as sales have slowed in recent months as consumers cut back on discretionary spending, theft of the devices has continued to soar. According to the FBI, as of late April, 31,324 portable navigation devices had been reported stolen in the U.S. — a 12% increase since late February.
Time Magazine - 28 Apil 2008
US victims of robbery
According to the FBI Annual Uniform Crime Report: One in every 38 people living in the US was a victim of either burglary or larceny-theft in 2005. 65.7% of all burglaries were residences. Over 25% of all larceny-thefts occur from motor vehicles.
Federal Bureau of Investigation - 2005