As usual with Voice of America, there's a really good audio version of the story at the link.
“People who go through this process, which can be both expensive and painful, would want to do this only for high-valued scenarios and not for cashing a check for $50," Jain says. "So the most common uses of this fingerprint alteration is people who are seeking asylum in the United States or in Europe, because if they have a prior criminal record, they will probably not be granted asylum.”
Earlier Post: MSU Technology Detects When Fingerprints Have Been Altered (Sept. 13, 2011)
The Michigan State technology detects altered fingerprints. Knowing that a fingerprint has been altered is valuable information. An investigator that receives a "No Match" result but a note that the fingerprints may have been altered, will be in a much better position than an investigator who simply received a "No Match" result.
