Fraudulent licenses

Number of fraudulent driver's licenses on the rise
09:45 AM CDT on Thursday, June 21, 2007
By Rucks Russell / 11 News

Identity thieves are out to get your license. A privilege reserved for those who follow the law is under assault, some say, by criminals stealing your information to obtain a license.

The rising tide of traffic through Houston: a moving mass of metal and sometimes law-breakers gaining access to the roads by stealing someone else’s identity.

One victim, a man called Herman Fifer, has evidence that someone obtained a driver’s license in his name. Authorities confirm the suspect racked up thousands of dollars in traffic tickets, and the fines were mistakenly billed to Fifer.

“I’ve paid this since 2002 and am out quite a bit of money,” Fifer said.
Other victims like Robin Sporba actually know the alleged perpetrators.
“She was a friend,” Sporba said.

The realtor said her former employee used a bogus license to obtain a loan for a speedboat in her name.

“They were ready to deliver the speed boat until I found out, and the loan company had never spoken to me,” Sporba said.

The list of those taken advantage of seems unending in a state with an estimated 16 million licensed drivers.

It’s an enormous number, among the highest in the nation. But Department of Public Safety officials concede a percentage of these drivers obtained their licenses through fraud, and for now they have no clear way of determining precisely how many.

“It’s an ongoing battle,” DPS Trooper John Sampa said.

Sampa has been engaged in it for more than 10 years. But now a biometric identification system, or visual recall, is set to go online next year.

“I think it’s gonna have a big impact,” Sampa said.

Because currently, duplicate licenses can be obtained without the use of a picture ID, and DPS countertop computers cannot access a driver’s license photo. This makes it easier to fool an agent by presenting someone else’s Social Security card and information. But the new system makes every licensed driver’s photograph just the click of a mouse away.

“That way we will know who we’re giving an ID to,” Sampa said.

The multimillion dollar software could be up as early as January.

Until then Texas roads will remain the dominion of cars potentially concealing a crime.

Authorities admit the new software won’t eliminate fraud. Their best advice is that you guard your personal information always, and only carry with you what you absolutely need.