Biometrics reveal improperly issued drivers licenses in New Jersey

Yesterday we concluded the "perfect is the enemy of good" post, with the observation that the merit of biometric ID systems is established when biometrics are used to audit what we termed "Industrial Age" systems.

Right on cue, The Trentonian (Trenton, NJ) reports that:

A new, high tech software has helped authorities identify two city men who fraudulently obtained New Jersey Drivers Licenses, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (AOG).

Raymond Feeney, 51, and Kirk Bland, 50, have been indicted on charges of using personal information of another to obtain a driver’s license, tampering with public records and forgery. Feeney’s license was suspended on four driving while intoxicated convictions, Bland’s licenses were suspended on two unrelated DUIs.

Any guesses as to what kind of high tech software was used to audit the New Jersey drivers license database, or the scope of the fraud detected (error rate, if you will)?

Many critics of the adoption of biometric identity management technology try to argue that unless biometric techniques are infallible and perfect, then they shouldn't be used. This line of reasoning ignores the fact that the systems they themselves depend upon for the identity documents that enable their full participation in the modern world are demonstrably fallible.

Is it any wonder, then, that developing countries that don't already have universal access to DMV's, birth certificates, social security cards, etc., are not only adopting biometric ID management techniques but that they are deploying them at the front end of their ID infrastructure rather than as a remedial measure?

New Jersey Tightens Up State ID Starting May 7

New Jersey's upgraded driver's license to debut May 7 (MyCentralJersey.com)

The federal law intended to tighten security and crack down on ID fraud was passed by Congress in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in which hijackers gathered driver’s licenses and state identification cards from five states to help them carry out their plot.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says the standardized licenses will start being phased in as a requirement for people boarding commercial flights or entering federal buildings by the end of 2014.

Aside from computer upgrades, New Jersey has spent roughly $8.8 million on facial recognition systems and other technology to move to the new standard, with federal grants covering some of the costs, said Raymond Martinez, chief administrator of the state Motor Vehicle Commission. Homeland Security has awarded $175 million through 150 separate grants to the states.

N.J. to Use Face-Recognition Technology to Scan License Photos for Fraud

Insurance Journal
Photos that are flagged as suspicious will be reviewed before that person can renew their license. MVC inspectors will examine whether the person has a twin or is a married woman who changed her name.


See also:
Multiple ID's But Only One Face
How DMV Face Rec Can Prevent Identity Theft
New Jersey: 40 Arrested in Drivers License Conspiracy

New Jersey: 40 Arrested in Drivers License Conspiracy

Criminal ring sold illegal digital IDs, authorities say (DailyRecord.com)

The defendants allegedly conspired in schemes in which brokers and Motor Vehicle Commission clerks sold New Jersey digital driver’s licenses to customers who did not have the required six points of identification, the release said. In some cases, the customers, who are foreign nationals, did not qualify for a license because they were in the U.S. illegally. In other cases, they lacked sufficient documentation.

The customers paid between $2,500 and $7,000 for a driver’s license or license renewal, and the MVC clerks and brokers split the proceeds of the illicit sales, the release said.