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Masterclass: 'The price of a line and the unlawful trading of data'

When
09 Oct 2025
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
Pinsent Masons, 55 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2FG
Spaces left
73

Registration

Member Registration Rate
This event is free to registered members of the Midlands Fraud Forum. To register for this event, please proceed below.

If you would like to attend but you are not yet a member of the Midlands Fraud Forum, please visit our ‘membership’ section for more info on how to apply.
Non Member – £75.00
Payment to attend also provides you with 12 months membership allowing you, or an alternate colleague, to attend any of our future events (excluding the Annual Conference) for free.

Masterclass

Thursday 9th October 2025

Time: 9 - 11.00 am

Venue: Pinsent Masons, 55 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2FG

Topic: ‘The price of a line and the unlawful trading of data'

Agenda

08.30	Registration, refreshments and networking
09.00	Welcome & introduction
09.05	Presentation by Kerry Smith, Investigations Group Manager, ICO Topic: The price of a line and the unlawful trading of data Session description: An insight into the lucrative world of the trade in unlawfully obtained personal data. Personal data is an extremely valuable commodity which Organised Crime Groups have long recognised, using it to attain benefit in the millions of pounds to the detriment of legitimate businesses and the wider public. This type of criminality is not victimless and can be the bedrock of large scale, complex and long-term frauds. The session provides an oversight of the work undertaken by the ICO’s criminal and financial investigations teams in relation to illegally obtained data, including the factors attributing to the values of data and subsequent risks to victims. This overview further provides an opportunity to reflect on how the work of the ICO may cross-over and support other agencies’ investigations involving data enabled crime.
09.55	Coffee break and networking
10.15	Presentation by Catherine Sankey, Investigations Group Manager, ICO Topic: ICO enforcement in tackling predatory marketing (scam calls and messages targeting vulnerable people) Session description: This session will provide an insight about a recent ICO investigation into predatory marketing, pulling together intelligence threads and collaborating with other enforcement agencies to disrupt network of individuals targeting vulnerable individuals through the use of sucker lists. The ultimate strategic objective of this ICO enforcement activity is to safeguard the public, limiting the intrusion into people's lives of outside actors looking to exploit often vulnerable individuals for financial gain.
10.55	Summary and close
11.00	Event close

Speaker/Panel details:

Kerry Smith, Investigations Group Manager, ICO

Kerry Smith has worked at the ICO for over ten years and set up the ICO’s Financial Recovery Unit in 2017. The Financial Recovery Unit is a specialised team responsible for managing the collection of civil monetary penalties and financial investigations under POCA.

The Financial Recovery Unit also undertakes further investigations into the individuals responsible for breaches of legislation and looks to identify opportunities for disruption and obstruction which can involve partnership working with other agencies. Prior to joining the ICO, Kerry worked for a number of organisations in various enforcement and intelligence roles, including HMRC.

Catherine Sankey, Investigations Group Manager, ICO

Catherine Sankey manages the ICO Privacy and Digital Marketing Investigations Teams (PDMIT); these teams are responsible for enforcement of the data sharing or trading and direct marketing provisions in the Data Protection Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations 2003 (PECR).

Prior to joining the ICO, Catherine worked at the NCA for twenty years, successfully undertaking investigations into highly complex frauds, including romance frauds.

Audience participation is, as always, most welcome and encouraged!