Callcredit acquires firm that reduces risk of identity theft

Leeds-based Callcredit, which is backed by private equity firm, GTCR, has acquired Recipero, a company that has built up one of the world’s largest databases containing information about the history and ownership of mobile devices.

Mike Gordon, Callcredit’s chief executive, said: “The acquisition demonstrates our commitment to expanding our fraud and identity protection capabilities and will accelerate growth, provide the opportunity to develop unique, new offerings for our customers and support overseas expansion through Recipero’s US footprint.”

Recipero’s technology is used to detect and prevent mobile device theft and fraud; comply with legislation around the handling of secondary-market mobile device transactions; and assess whether a device can be activated on a particular mobile network.

The Gloucester-based company employs 20 people and has operations across the UK and US.

Chris Green, the chief commercial officer at Callcredit, said: “The explosion in use of mobile devices for financial transactions, means mobile devices present the biggest, single point of failure for identity theft and fraud.

“If your phone is stolen, a criminal has everything they need to access your digital identity, including personal, sensitive and financial information. Recipero offers a natural extension to our existing fraud and identity protection solutions.”

Around three quarters of Callcredit’s 1,200 staff are based in Leeds.