ACORN and Police report numbers 

An ACORN Reference Number (for online events in Aust) and a Police Report Number (for offline events) are critical for someone who believes their personal information is at risk. These numbers are relied upon throughout the response system by service providers and credit reporting agencies to assist them in progressing your protection and response requirements. In relation to police progressing your matter this will depend on a number of factors, least of which is the prospect of an investigative outcome. 

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Police Engagement 

Most Australians and New Zealanders in their ordinary lives have had little to do with police. When you experience the compromise of your information and/or its misuse, you not only have to respond to the event but work out which organisations you need to engage, how, why and what to expect. In IDCARE’s experience, every police agency across Australia and New Zealand will differ slightly with how they do things. In Australia, state and territory police have primary responsibility for progressing individual reports of identity and cybercrime. Accessing police report numbers can be at times difficult in some states and the physical copy of a report is something that you may have to pay for. Whilst it may be complex for individual events that originate from offshore to be investigated, it’s important to remember that one person’s report can be a critical contribution in building this picture. 

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Police Process 

Like any reported matter to the Police, an identity and cybercrime report from an individual or business will need to be assessed and prioritised against other matters. For local police this may be an assessment against reports of assault, abuse and disturbing the peace. For someone who experiences identity and cyber-related crimes the most critical part of your engagement with police is the reporting process and evidencing that the report has been made. The risks to individuals in most cases are much larger and require many more actions that don’t rely on police involvement. 

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To explore these IDCARE provides clients with Response Plans that are tailored to your needs and are developed in a way that meets your priorities and capabilities. A key step in these plans we develop will almost always be to report your matter to police, because evidencing such reporting is a critical step in the broader response journey most people will confront. 

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Useful links

• ‍ACORN 
• Australian Federal Police