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Identity crime targeted in New Zealand, Australia document accord

Xinhua, November 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

New Zealand and Australian government agencies and businesses will be able to electronically verify official identity documents from either country under a new trans-Tasman agreement to fight identity crime, ministers said Wednesday.

The agreement would also help organizations to offer more efficient online services and to promote cross-border travel, migration and commerce, New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne and Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan said in a joint statement.

The agreement would help to better protect the more than 600,000 New Zealanders settled in Australia and the 65,000 Australians in New Zealand from the destructive effects of identity crime, they said.

"Identity crime is one of the key enablers of serious and organized crime," they said.

"It affects up to 900,000 Australians each year and costs Australia around 2 billion AU dollars (1.41 billion U.S. dollars) per year. Up to 133,000 New Zealanders experience identity crime resulting in a financial loss, costing New Zealand around 209 million NZ dollars (1.37 million U.S. dollars) each year."

The Australian Document Verification Service and the New Zealand Confirmation Service would help organizations verify passports, birth certificates and citizenship certificates. Endit