Think Twice Before Smiling at DMV and 19 Indicted on Bank Fraud and ID Theft in NY

Be careful not to smile when you get your new drivers license.  Four states have started using a new facial recognition system that requires a “neutral facial expressions” in driver’s license photos, and it will hopefully prevent identity theft and fraud.  The idea is that the new license photos are compared with those that have already been taken. If a new photo seems to match an existing one, the software sends an alert that someone may be trying to assume another’s identity. Read more about it here.

In other news, prosecutors in New York announced that they have indicted 18 people for operating a bank fraud and identity theft scheme that resulted in the cashing of more than 1,000 counterfeit checks at several large banks. Seventeen banks were targeted, and at least 1,017 counterfeit checks were deposited in Manhattan branches exceeding $1.446 million. Kudos to law enforcement and the prosecutors for the bringing this fraud ring down.