Revealing figures on 'look-alike' fraud with Dutch travel documents

Thanks to a Wob request by Privacy First, official figures on look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and identity cards public for the first time today. These figures show that the fingerprint biometric passport is a completely disproportionate measure that should never have been introduced.

The government argument for introducing fingerprints in passports and identity cards has been the same for years: fight against look-alike fraud. Look-alike fraud is a form of abuse in which someone uses an authentic travel document of another person with whom he or she bears an outward resemblance. This type of fraudster is also called impostor mentioned. The extent of this type of fraud has hardly ever been questioned, neither by MPs, nor by academics and journalists. Those who asked a question about it in the last 10 years were usually sent away with one of the following crumbs: figures on look-alike fraud would be "unknown", "not public", "confidential" or "secret". The answer to the most recent Parliamentary question in this regard dates from October 2010:

- Question: "Is it true that the figures of 'lookalike' identity document fraud are known, but that you are not willing to give these figures to the Lower House? Are you willing to send these figures to the House of Representatives?"
- Reply State Secretary Bijleveld (BZK): "No, this is not true. Since such figures are not known to me, I obviously cannot send them to you." (Source)

Those who inquired further in recent years were often told that this would be a gigantic phenomenon. This created the image of a "dark number" of almost mythical proportions. However, without a trace of evidence. So Privacy First recently submitted a Wob request to the Dutch government department where the figures on look-alike fraud have been neatly maintained for years: the Identity Fraud & Documents Expertise Centre (ECID) at Schiphol Airport. The ECID falls under the Royal Military Police (KMar), or Ministry of Defence. Privacy First knew from a reliable source that the relevant figures would be found in clear annual reports of the ECID since 2008. So we recently requested those annual reports simply by email. From the Ministry of Defence, Privacy First then received the Annual Statistical Reports on Document Fraud for 2008 to 2010. (Update: 2011 figures followed on 29 May 2012). These annual reviews show the following figures for look-alike fraud involving Dutch passports and identity cards on Dutch territory:

2008: 46 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2008, p. 45)

2009: 33 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2009, pp. 42-43)

2010: 21 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2010, pp. 52-53)

2011: 19 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2011, pp. 52-53).

2012: 21 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2012, p. 55).

2013: 12 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2013, pp. 55-56).

2014: 10 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2014, pp. 38-39).

2015: 16 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2015, pp. 40-41). There were also found to be 29 cases at border crossings in our neighbouring countries Belgium, Germany and the UK during 2012-2015 (average per year and per country; see p. 45).  

2016: 14 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2016, pp. 54-55). It also revealed 28 cases of border crossings in our neighbouring countries Belgium, Germany and the UK between 2012 and 2016 (average per year and per country; see p. 62).

2017: 7 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2017, pp. 53-54). It also revealed 28 cases of border crossings in our neighbouring countries Belgium, Germany and the UK between 2012 and 2017 (average per year and per country; see p. 61).

2018: 14 cases (source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2018, pp. 51-53). It also revealed 26 cases of border crossings in neighbouring countries Belgium, Germany and the UK during 2014-2018 (average per year and country; see p. 59).

2019: at most 19 fallen (?). Source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2019, p. 14. Unlike previous years, this report is unfortunately very limited and unclear regarding the number of cases of look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and identity cards at home and abroad.

2020: approximately 123 foreign cases (?). Source: Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2020, p. 22. Unfortunately, this report is unclear regarding the number of identified cases of look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and identity cards domestically.

The Netherlands has a population of 17 million. Almost 7.5 million of them had to give up their fingerprints until March 2012 to combat a handful of cases of look-alike fraud. (Update November 2017: 20 million fingerprints, according to NOS. See also response Privacy First.) This situation is completely disproportionate by any standards and thus constitutes a collective violation of every Dutch citizen's right to privacy. Privacy First sees these figures as strong support in its lawsuit against the new Passport Act and hereby calls on the Dutch government to stop the mandatory collection of fingerprints for passports and identity cards with immediate effect. Also against European policy.

Update 22 March 2012: Earlier, Privacy First had displayed the figures 63 (2009) and 52 (2010). However, those figures were based on a counting error (double counting), for which we apologise.

Update 30 March 2012: BZK internal documents from 2004 also indicate relatively low fraud rates and also high costs for introducing biometrics in travel documents. Privacy First recently obtained these documents through a large-scale Wob investigation that has been ongoing since April 2011.

Update 29 May 2012: today, from the Ministry of Defence, Privacy First finally received the long-awaited Statistical Annual Review of Document Fraud 2011. The number of cases of look-alike According to this report, fraud with Dutch passports and identity cards on Dutch territory (as far as known to the KMar) amounted to... 11 and 8 respectively, so only 19 in total. We have supplemented the above list of numbers from 2008 to 2010 with these figures for 2011. This once again confirms the picture of look-alike fraud as a very small-scale phenomenon. Therefore, saddling the entire Dutch population with biometric passports and ID cards to combat this is and will remain totally disproportionate and thus unlawful.

Update 1 November 2013: The above overview was completed today with the 2012 figures. Privacy First once again considers these figures as strong support in our lawsuit against the Dutch State for unlawfulness of the Passport Act (Passport Trial). A ruling by the Hague Court of Appeal in the Passport trial will follow on 7 January next. Recently approved the European Court of Justice approved the mandatory collection of fingerprints under the European Passport Regulation, but without having done any quantitative research on its purpose: combating look-alike travel document fraud. As early as the development of the Passport Regulation in 2004 When asked, the European Parliament was not given figures on this. The privacy law requirements of 1) necessity and 2) proportionality of the Passport Regulation thus remain unaddressed to date. Privacy First concludes once again that the mandatory collection of fingerprints for passports and ID cards is unlawful and hereby once again calls on the Dutch government to stop this practice immediately, also against European policy.

Update 9 July 2014: we have added to the above list today with the 2013 figures. Again, these figures are extraordinarily low and even much lower than in previous years. New in the 2013 report are the figures of look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and ID cards in some surrounding countries. These figures are relatively higher (166 cases in total, see p. 60). Set against a population of 17 million Dutch citizens, however, Privacy First still considers it completely disproportionate to combat such small-scale (0.00098%) look-alike fraud take everyone's fingerprints.

Update 26 November 2015: Today, Privacy First announced the 2014 figures added to the above list and widely published. These figures are again lower than in previous years. So in relative terms, it still appears to be only a handful of cases of look-alike fraud.

Update 27 July 2016: the 2015 figures were recently requested from the Ministry of Defence by Privacy First and added to the above overview today. Again, these figures are relatively low. New to the report are statistics on look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and identity cards at border crossings in Belgium, Germany and the UK: a total of 213 and 137 cases respectively in the period 2012-2015, or an average of only 18 passports and 11 identity cards per year per country. In Privacy First's view, these numbers are still so low that it does not justify mandatory fingerprinting for passports among the entire Dutch population.

Update 30 November 2017: Today, the 2016 figures by Privacy First to the above overview. As expected, these figures are again very low and down from last year. This also applies to the statistics on look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and identity cards at border crossings in Belgium, Germany and the UK: a total of 259 and 163 cases respectively in the period 2012-2016, or an average of only 17 passports and 11 identity cards per year per country. In Privacy First's view, these numbers are still so low that it does not at all justify mandatory fingerprinting for passports among the entire Dutch population.

Recent NOS reported that the Dutch population has now handed over some 20 million useless fingerprints for possible control of a handful of cases of look-alike fraud. This situation is totally disproportionate by any standards and thus constitutes an ever ongoing collective violation of every Dutch citizen's right to privacy. Privacy First therefore hereby calls on the Dutch government again to stop the mandatory fingerprinting of passports immediately, also against European policy. Should this subsequently lead to a court case between the European Commission and the Netherlands (for violation of the European Passport Regulation), Privacy First expects that the Dutch government will win this case brilliantly, thereby also setting a positive precedent for the entire European continent. If desired, Privacy First will be happy to advise the Dutch government in this regard.

Update 20 September 2018: Today, the 2017 figures by Privacy First to the above overview. As expected, these figures are again very low and down from last year.

Update 20 November 2019: Today, the 2018 figures by Privacy First to the above overview. As expected, these figures are again extraordinarily low.

On November 17, 2019 Reporter Radio and iBoard extensive coverage of identity fraud, including look-alike fraud: "ECID, established in 2007, has been producing a comprehensive and highly detailed 'Annual Statistical Review of Document Fraud' since 2008. Up to and including the 2017 review, the introduction contained the sentence: "The document has been written with the intention of informing the widest possible audience." In 2017, it became "as wide an audience as possible within government" and last year it became just another wide audience, now informed "about the latest trends and developments in document fraud". Masha O'Connor, head of ECID, says the overviews are only actively distributed to chain partners. A limited audience within the government. Yet the overviews are widely available and on the website of the civil rights organisation Privacy First. That sends a Wob request every year to the Ministry of Defence, which now provides the new edition just about by return." (Source)

Update 6 April 2020: Today, the 2019 figures by Privacy First to the above overview. These figures are unfortunately unclear and uncertain this time, but still indicate very low numbers. Source: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/jaarplannen/2020/02/01/statistisch-jaaroverzicht-van-identiteits–en-documentfraude-in-2019.

Update 1 July 2021: At the request of Privacy First, the 2020 figures were released today by the Ministry of Defence published. Compared to the years 2008-2018, the relevant report is unfortunately again too short, incomplete and unclear regarding domestic look-alike fraud with Dutch passports and ID cards. However, this report does mention figures on such fraud with Dutch documents abroad for the first time, see overview above. In Privacy First's view, these numbers are still far too low to justify mandatory collection of everyone's fingerprints. Source: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/rapporten/2021/07/01/statistisch-jaaroverzicht-van-identiteits-en-documentfraude-in-2020.