To be reluctant to provide fingerprints for this reason?

YABVVU with all this navel gazing OP, now that we've established it's not a scam.
You either give your fingerprints or lose your DBS. At a police station obviously no sending them in
Simples.
It doesn't matter whether random strangers on the internet agree with you r.e. discomfort. It's not going to change the situation.

They'd need the fingerprints because they won't necessarily have enough identifying data for the known criminal, like all their addresses.

Oh and also, nothing can be done with your fingerprints... They can hardly print them out and frame you at a crime scene.

Maybe you look like them?

Yup this. I use the PNC daily at work, and in similar situations when you look at the PNC record it will say “not identical to PNCID 12345 BLOGGS/JOE:01011970}

OP you should've mentioned the letter had the correct DBS address and contact details in your original post. It's not a scam.

Just to warn you, like a PP I had a role processing Enhanced DBS Checks for new starters and had this before with one of our new starters and she said she'd had to provide prints every time she moved jobs as she had a similar identity to a criminal (despite a very unusual name!) and they'd take prints at a police station, confirm they weren't a match to the one on record then destroy the prints. So this may keep happening, sorry OP.

Someone could have stolen your identity.........

It's not usual, but it does happen.

I really don’t understand why the OP is so worried about having her fingerprints taken.
I didn’t have mine taken as part of my DBS process but I do have a VERY unusual maiden name and my married name is even more unique! However, I had my prints taken as a child when home was burgled (exclusion prints) and as an adult in similar circumstances. Prints for these purposes are NOT stored.

OP, if you want your DBS check processed you’ll have to agree to your prints being checked. If you have no criminal record then you have nothing to worry about.

I've processed lots of DBS through work and this does happen, it just means someone has the same name as you I think

Rubbish. It's been badly worded. PNC will indicate if fingerprints are held so they want the OP to provide prints to be compared with the prints held for the person on PNC

Someone who works in DBS has confirmed it's something that's done

If they destroy the prints afterwards I don’t see it as a problem

Well, it was a renewal. It was odd that they asked for the date printed on one of the supporting documents but at no point was the document asked for or seen by anyone, and the date was the only identifying feature. Asking for the date on the utility bill, but not who it's with, the address, or for a copy to be sent. I know they know a lot, but I didn't think Mystic Meg was doing the reviewing!

right? And what difference does it make to the OP whether they are looking at PC Plod's Big Database of Prints or the PNC? The end result is the same. She gives her prints, they check to see if they match with prints taken from a convicted/charged criminal.

Yes absolutely they have a database of fingerprints it’s just not the PNC.

You'd also be surprised how much they know ...

They're not allowed to keep your fingerprints on file for future use, if that's what you're worried about. Once they've been compared to the known criminal's prints they'll be destroyed. The same as when they do those mass fingerprint / dna collection exercises when they're looking for a serial killer or whatever, anyone that doesn't match has their data destroyed.

Yes, for this specific case. But this won't always be the case. There will be more people with similar identities where neither has a criminal record.

If it's legitimate, then you probably do need to provide fingerprints or an alternative if they'll accept that, in order to ensure you aren't someone with the same name or similar details who has committed a crime. You could always ask what alternatives might be available, and check what happens with your fingerprint information once obtained (storage, sharing/cross-linking, schedule for deletion, etc).

I'd check with DBS and police though

Read the link posted by a PP, it mentions the possibility of a photo identification rather than fingerprint. Which seems logical now that passports are biometric.

I assume you'll no longer be visiting Europe from November.

It's right there in the letter the OP has! " found the record of a person with similar identify details to your own. "

So one of the Angela Smiths has a criminal record. DBS wants to know that OP is the other one! 9999 times out of 10,000 this won't happen as your name/town/DOB are unique enough. But if you are called Laura Taylor, Karen Jones, Elizabeth Anderson - there will be dozens of you across the country and if one of the others has a criminal record, fingerprints it is.

And yes, @averystrangeletter the process is that you make an appointment at your local nick to have the prints taken,

How is the letter proposing for you to provide your fingerprints? Anything other than attending a police station just screams scam, really. I'd suggest phoning the DBS contact number (from different correspondence! not the number from that letter) and advising them of the letter you've received. If there's a legitimate need, they can confirm this. If they can't, then you contact the police because of concerns about it potentially being a scam.