Active alerts

An alert is active as long as the work has not been found and the record has not been struck off. It contains the identifying details, the publication date and the country. The most recent alerts, published less than thirty days ago, are marked with a badge.

An alert is withdrawn as soon as the work is found, the report is recognised as erroneous or the reporter requests closure. The history remains available to the BIOP unit and investigators.

For an operator, following alerts is a way of anticipating: stolen works often appear on the market in the weeks following the theft. Regular monitoring makes it possible to spot suspect listings before they become a problem.

For customs or police, alerts specify the types of property to look for in checks: objects from a given region, targeted periods, materials. They complement the identification guides.

The BIOP unit checks each alert before publication and reviews those that have had no update for a year. A reporter is invited each year to confirm that the alert is still current; if there is no reply, the record goes on hold.

This housekeeping avoids cluttering the database with obsolete alerts and ensures that search results remain relevant for operators.

Consulting alerts is not only a verification tool: it is also a way of learning. The records show the types of works targeted, the modus operandi and the periods of risk, which helps museums and collectors adapt their security.

Each quarter OIMAP publishes a summary of alert trends, with prevention recommendations by type of property. It is circulated to museums and insurers.