Florida Man Busted for Passport Fraud Thanks to Integrated Biometrics Tech

Fingerprint scanning technology from Integrated Biometrics is proving its worth to police officers in Florida: The company says that one of its fingerprint sensor solutions recently helped to expose an individual using a fraudulent ID.

As Integrated Biometrics explained in a statement, Florida’s Escambia County recently ordered the Evolution handheld identification device from DataWorks. The device can operate over cellular or Wi-Fi networks, and features Integrated Biometrics’ Columbo solution, a FAP 30-certified fingerprint sensor. By connecting with multiple fingerprint databases used by law enforcement, the device allows police to scan a fingerprint in the field and immediately get a match against a record on file.

In the case of the recently discovered fraudster, it happened at a traffic stop, where a driver showed a passport for identification instead of a driver’s license. The officer involved scanned his fingerprint, and was able to determine that it didn’t match the individual depicted in the fraudulent passport.

Commenting on the utility of this technology, Escambia County Sheriff’s Department Systems Analyst Murray Shaw explained that before this technology came into play, an officer would have to physically leave a suspect alone to return to a patrol car, during which time the suspect might try to escape. “These mobile biometric devices bring the rap sheet to the officer,” he said. “There is no delay.”

It’s a solid testament to Integrated Biometrics’ technology as it is increasingly adopted by law enforcement authorities around the world, with Ukrainian border authorities offering one of the most recent high-profile examples.

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April 16, 2019 – by Alex Perala