Front Lines
news/analysis
THE AGE OLD PROBLEM
UNDER-AGE SALES – ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?
PUT another way: are we reasonable steps to leading prepaid comparison
likely to have to do more? I determine that the person site, “what-prepaid-
believe the answer is an purchasing or otherwise card.co.uk” reveals a mix of
emphatic, yes! obtaining access to such [age MasterCard, Visa and Maestro
Alongside consumer restricted] goods and services cards all available to teens
concerns about corporate and meets the specifications of with maximum achievable
Government losses of the relevant age restriction”. balances ranging from £200
personal information and to £3,500.
identity theft there seems to CURRENTLY, AGE RESTRICTED It used to be that
be some indications that age GOODS AND SERVICES merchants could legitimately
verification requirements may INCLUDE: suggest that reliance on the
be the next significant • Alcohol – 18 yrs + person holding a valid credit
regulation to hit online • Cigarettes and tobacco – card was proof enough that
merchants. 18 yrs + they were over 18 – clearly
So why is this? What has • Fireworks – 18yrs + this is no longer the case.
changed over the recent past • Solvents / gas lighter refills – Indeed, a recent
John Lyons, Group Security
to shine the spotlight on this 18yrs + announcement by eBay
Advisor to SecureTrading.com
issue and what pressures have • Spray paints – 16 yrs + relating to the sale of knives
materialised that may make • National Lottery / to only 18s and over using a WHAT CAN WE DO
this prediction come true? scratchcards – 16 yrs + credit card as the means of ABOUT IT?
Legislation might be just • Knives – 18 yrs + verification, indicates that the My view is that online
around the corner • Crossbows – 17 yrs + industry is not quite in sync merchants selling age-
As reported in January this • Gambling – 18 yrs + with new developments in restricted goods and services
year, the Ten Minute Rule Bill • Adult entertainment – the provision of financial must seize the initiative and
proposed by Labour MP for 18yrs + products and services. keep it away from the
Luton South, Margaret • DVDs / videos / computer legislators. Let the industry
Moran, “seeks to make it a games to age 12, 15 or 18 PUBLIC PRESSURE MOUNTS put in place voluntarily a code
statutory requirement for Finally, there is no denying of practice which stipulates
retailers to verify the ages of The wording of the Bill is that the increase in teenage the measures to be
consumers who attempt to unhelpful equally to online knife crime leading to the implemented to verify that:
purchase age-restricted goods retailers and to law murder of young people up The person making the
such as alcohol, cigarettes, enforcement efforts to and down the country has online purchase of goods and
pornography or try to gamble penalise those who might shocked us all. Of course, services is of the required age,
online. She wants to see any disregard such a law. A kitchen knives are easy to and the person receiving any
retailer who fails to do this revised Bill will likely seek to come by and no amount of delivered goods which are
face a hefty fine or even specify the minimum legislation is going to prevent age-restricted, meets the
imprisonment”. measures which online the despicable murders we specified age requirement
In a statement, Moran said: merchants must take to verify have witnessed particularly Simply requiring a box to
“My Bill aims to ensure online the age of the person making during these past couple of be ticked is not likely to cut
retailers take their the purchase AND receiving years. But it will take only the mustard for too much
responsibilities more seriously. the goods or services. There one incident involving a longer!
Children can now get hold of is little point in securing the hunting knife (or similar) If you are interested in
some very disturbing items, online transaction, if the purchased online by teenage discussing how we might best
things they would never be delivery driver hands the gang member, to tilt the achieve good practice online
able to buy if they walked restricted products to an balance of the argument in age-verification, please do
into a shop. It has to stop.” under-age consumer. favour of immediate not hesitate to write to me at
However, the reporting was legislation. the email address below.
misleading and somewhat PRE-PAID CREDIT AND DEBIT The law is made that way. John Lyons, Group Security
overdone. If we look more CARDS SOLD TO UNDER 18S For generations, we have Advisor to SecureTrading.com
carefully at the wording of The second blip on the radar introduced new legislation or the UK’s leading independent
the Bill (The Online is the recent launch by various amended existing laws to payments service provider (a
Purchasing of Goods and financial services companies reflect the horror felt by the wholly owned subsidiary of
Services (Age Verification) of pre-paid credit and debit public and politicians after a UC Group) (contact
Bill) – it merely states that the cards to teens under the age particularly noteworthy john.lyons@uc.com or visit
merchant “shall take all of 18. A quick look at the incident. securetrading.com) RF
10 • RETAIL FRAUD
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