Crime Syndicates Exploit ID Theft for Pandemic Unemployment Fraud
President Joe Biden is being urged by tech experts to focus on criminal syndicates exploiting identity theft to garner pandemic unemployment benefits.
Landwebs
Members of the Unemployment Insurance Tech Coordinating Coalition, a group focused on breaking down digital barriers to distributing public assistance, are warning that criminal syndicates are using identity theft to secure pandemic unemployment benefits in multiple U.S. states, reports Bloomberg News.
The group is urging White House officials to move away from emphasizing individual identity checks as a way to stem fraud and to ensure that identity verification technology, such as facial recognition, doesn’t create obstacles for those seeking jobless aid. The group recommended that an executive order expected to be issued April 1 by President Joe Biden should emphasize authentication tools like Login.gov, rather than rely on private sector facial recognition solutions like ID.me’s services. Civil rights activists noted thatr facial recognition technology can perform poorly on people with darker skin and some people lack the digital devices or savvy needed to access their accounts via selfie.
