African tech-media firm Bit Bender Production Limited has released a mobile application, Verivault App, to the Nigerian market.
This app allows device owners to register their devices online and receive a Digital Ownership Certificate. The app's primary purpose is to safeguard innocent citizens from buying stolen devices and assist in the recovery of stolen ones by the original owners.
This is coming against the backdrop of the upsurge in the theft of smart devices such as phones, laptops, and musical and DJ equipment across the country. At the same time, some innocent and unaware individuals have been jailed or fined for purchasing those devices.
Tosin Awodogan, the mastermind behind the idea, in a recent media chat, said promoting the Verivault App is necessary to create awareness and enable the citizenry to buy into the technology to safeguard their devices while also setting the platform as the first point of check to validate the status of any electronic device before purchasing it.
"Verivault app is a mobile app that allows users to register their electronic device with a serial number, IMEI, or vehicle with a VIN, otherwise known as chassis number. Your electronic devices are onboarded on your profile, and you own a Digital Ownership Certificate."
According to him, the app, which can be downloaded from Apple's App store or Android Google play store, has remarkable features beyond just registering a device to your profile. For example, users can search for and verify device ownership before buying, or transferring device ownership from one user to another in case of a sale.
"If a stolen device is listed for sale by another user, a potential buyer can search the database, and it will display whom the device belongs to, provided it has been onboarded. It will even connect the actual owner with the searcher. This is applicable to devices registered on our platform, which is why the awareness is to see this as a FREE insurance policy for every device owner.
"Registration is free, adding your devices to your account is free, the searching device status is free, and your registered data remains on our platform even if the device is reset, the unique ID of the device still connects it to the owner and any search at any time will lead such missing device back to the owner," Tosin said.
The techie concept seeks to engender a culture of "Search Before Buying" any item, similar to what is available in advanced countries where checks on a vehicle, for instance, by a potential buyer on its chassis, would reveal the vehicle's history.
Tosin added that the firm was seeking the partnership and endorsement of the police authority on the app to protect users and help resolve any dispute raised between an owner and potential buyer in the event there is a match while searching device status, especially if the device is already marked stolen.
In his words, "If a user is accused wrongly, the suspect can provide evidence through the app that he bought a device legally, and even produce who from, thanks to the uploaded purchase receipt and transfer history features. This would reduce theft of phones, laptops, other electronic devices; and wrongful arrest of innocent citizens or buyers will, in turn, be a thing of the past," he added.
More detail on the app website www.verivault.net