Phone data used to crack down on fraudsters and rogue traders in Hertfordshire

THE use of mobile phone data to crack-down on rogue traders and fraudsters in Hertfordshire has been highlighted, as part of a county council report on the use of the Investigatory Powers Act.

Under the IPA council officers can apply for access to communications data, including a subscriber’s name address and payment method – but not the content.

And if a ‘serious crime’ threshold is met, the council can also ask for ‘events’ data – which could include lists of incoming and outgoing calls, copy of bills, location data and log on history.

At a meeting of the public health and community safety cabinet panel on Friday (June 30), it was reported that trading standards officers and the ‘shared anti-fraud service’ had applied to have access to communications data 23 times in 2022/23.

All applications, councillors heard, had been successful.

According to the report to the panel, communications data had been used in investigations into an alleged £300,000 fraud against the county council; the use of stolen credit cards; and the illegal sub-letting of a social housing property.

Meanwhile trading standards officers had obtained communications data as part of investigations into three rogue trading cases involving home maintenance work – and one into the possession of illegal tobacco.

The cases were highlighted as part of an annual report on the use of the Investigative Powers Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

The report stresses the powers are used ‘only when strictly necessary and proportionate with minimum intrusion’.

At the meeting councillors heard that, in addition, authorisation under RIPA was gained by trading standards officers for ‘directed surveillance’ in 2022/3, in order for ‘test purchasing’.

As part of the ‘test purchasing’ investigations, trading standards officers made two applications.

In the first set of ‘test purchases’ under-age volunteers visited 12 premises – with three agreeing to make a sale.

And in the second they went to six premises and three made a sale.

Two of those who agreed to sell the products in the second set of ‘test purchases’, had supplied a product on more than one occasion, it was reported.

According to the report to the panel, in 2022/23 the county council made no applications for the use of ‘covert human intelligence sources.