Press Release

CheckMEND LAUNCHES IN US TO CURB CYBERCRIME OF SELLING SUSPECT SECOND HAND GOODS

CheckMEND Targeting Internet Fraud That Cost US Citizens $239 Million in 2007

Gloucestershire, UK, June 19, 2008 -- A new weapon against cybercrime comes to market today with the US launch of CheckMEND. The consumer-friendly and easy-to-use online service, already well established in Europe, offers a platform for identifying serial numbered stolen and counterfeit property offered on the Internet. CheckMEND offers consumers and businesses nationwide safe, fast, easy and very affordable checks against the world’s largest publicly available database of more than 100 million records of information that may be relevant to any prospective purchaser.

"The growth in second hand consumerism, driven by a difficult economy and the exploding popularity of Internet auction, marketplace and classified sites, is dramatically increasing the emergence online of stolen goods such as cellular phones, laptops and GPS devices," said Adrian Portlock, CEO of CheckMEND. "Stolen goods are so rampant online that major law enforcement organizations increasingly use such Web sites to catch criminals and retrieve stolen goods."

CheckMEND comes to the US to aid in this pursuit, in collaboration with global crime-fighting agencies, leading retailers, carriers and manufacturers of cellular devices. It facilitates safe and legal commerce, and helps protect against traffic in stolen or counterfeit goods before transactions are completed. CheckMEND's entire database of more than 100 million records is searchable online directly and in real time from the CheckMEND Web site.

How CheckMEND Works

• A search on www.checkmend.com costs just $2.99, with advantageous pricing when multiple checks are made. When users opt to conduct several checks to validate more than one item, they benefit from the convenience of a single credit card transaction for no additional cost. For more information, visit www.checkmend.com. Those using the online system will receive a printable certificate of authenticity, a copy of which is held on the CheckMEND system. Every check includes a printable comprehensive history report showing all the information available on the system.
  
  View sample report.
  
• Checks can be carried out by entering a serial or identification number.
• Within seconds, CheckMEND is able to tell the user if the item has had previous owners (a common fraud is to sell refurbished goods as new), is reported stolen or lost, has been subject to an insurance claim and, in the case of cellular phones, if the phone is barred or has had its identity altered - all information that may be relevant to a prospective purchaser.
• Sellers can enhance the item they are selling by running a check before listing and then by quoting the report reference. Any buyer can see the report online by quoting the reference number on the CheckMEND site.
• Items can be reported as stolen to CheckMEND by the public via www.immobilize.net which also hosts the world’s largest possession ownership database with more than 20 million registered users worldwide.
  
  http://www.checkmend.com/us/checkmend_demo

The CheckMEND system continually acquires data in real time on all aspects of personal property ownership and associated criminality from feeds worldwide. At an average rate of more than 150,000 records a week, it is the most comprehensive system of its kind.

About CheckMEND

CheckMEND is a commercial service provided by Recipero Limited a specialist aggregator of information. Based in Gloucestershire, UK, Recipero provides services to a range of blue chip clients and government organizations. The data on the CheckMEND database is checked over 1 million times a month by hundreds of approved organizations from more than 40 countries worldwide. For more information, visit CheckMEND at www.checkmend.com.

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