The first phase of the program will deploy anti-fraud systems at four RMV locations around the commonwealth, as well as at the department's forensics lab in Boston. When applicants visit one of these upgraded offices to obtain a Massachusetts I.D., their proof-of-identity documents (driver's licenses from other states, U.S. passports, U.S. visas, etc.) will be run through a document-authentication system for verification.
The system will analyze each document's security features (including hidden attributes such as holograms, state-seals, etc.), verifying them against an on-board library of authentication attributes. The library includes a broad array of standard and non-standard documents such as passports, visas and driver's licenses. Then, the system will utilize a platform of advanced-analytical software tools to compare security information extracted from each document against the issuing state's built-in security features. If the document fails the validation process, the system indicates why it has failed and prompts the operator to better scrutinize the applicant as a potential fraud perpetrator. The authentication process takes less than five seconds per I.D. document.
The same system has also been deployed at airports in Los Angeles, Houston and Minneapolis as part of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) Registered Traveler Pilot Program, which provides frequent travelers with an expedited yet highly secure screening experience.
