Passport fraudsters on notice

Passport fraud of any type is a serious crime and those perpetrating it or considering it will be caught, the Department of Internal Affairs said today. They were responding to the recent conviction of Helen April Truscott for making a false representation under the Passports Act.

Truscott, while not the applicant for a false passport, committed an offence by acting as a false witness of proof of identity for a passport application. Her actions assisted a false passport application by her co-offender. The co-offender was jailed for 15 months last year.

David Philp, Passports Manager for the Department of Internal Affairs, says passport fraud is a serious crime that has impacts on victims and undermines the integrity of the New Zealand passport. “We view any type of passport fraud, including witnesses providing false information in applications, extremely seriously.

“As soon as we identified that the witness information was suspect we investigated and then referred the matter to the Police, which resulted in the conviction.

“When we detect fraudulent activity, no matter how long ago the alleged offence occurred, we will refer all such cases to the Police for prosecution,” says David Philp.

The Department says New Zealanders can be proud of having one of the best passports in the world providing visa free access to many countries. “The Department of Internal Affairs is totally committed to upholding the integrity of the New Zealand passport system. Passport fraudsters are on notice – “It’s not worth the risk – don’t try it you will be caught.”


Contact
Tony Wallace, Senior Communications Advisor
Phone 04 382 3437, cell 027 440 2667
e-mail: tony.wallace@dia.govt.nz