Many activities require people to verify their identity and the establishments scanning them have a duty to ensure that every ID they scan is legitimate. Many people create fake IDs to bypass security, commit fraud, and engage in activities that they are ineligible for. This can be problematic, so companies and organizations need systems that can swiftly verify an individual’s identity to confirm if they are who they say they are.
A common way to do this is to use an ID scanner, which is a tool that is programmed to authenticate ID documents like international passports, vaccine passports, driver’s licenses, state IDs, and other government-issued IDs. The scanner is designed to extract and record information from the ID documents to check their validity,
ID Document Scanner Components
There are different types of ID scanners. Some are standalone hardware devices, hardware plugged into a computer, while others are smartphone applications that are linked to a database containing millions of people’s biodata. These are components that can be found in ID scanners:
Barcode reader
A barcode reader reads barcodes and QR codes which reveal the personal information of the ID holder to the scanner.
Optical scanner
An optical scanner has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities which it uses to capture the photo, text, and barcodes that are on an ID document and convert them into machine-readable characters.
NFC reader
An NFC reader reads the data stored on NFC chips that are embedded into ID documents.
Magnetic stripe reader
Magnetic stripe readers read the data that are stored on the magnetic stripes that are on some ID cards.
Processing software
The ID scanner software processes the data extracted from ID documents to verify their authenticity and confirm the identity of the person presenting the document. It also records the information and stores it in a database.
Working Mechanism of an ID Scanner
Although there are different types of ID scanners, they all have a similar working mechanism, which is:
- The ID holder faces their identification toward the scanner’s camera so it can read it. Other types of ID scanners will require the holder to insert their card or swipe it against the reader.
- Once the scanner senses the ID, it scans and extracts the data encoded on it.
- The processing software converts the extracted data to a known format and runs through a database to confirm the holder’s identity. It also uses security features to check if the document is fake.
- Once the check is complete, the software will record the data it extracted and store it for security and compliance reasons.
Use Cases for ID Scanners
ID scanners have many use cases in lots of industries because most establishments want to stay protected and ensure that they comply with government regulations. However, here are some places where ID scanners are frequently used:
Office buildings
Many companies use digital security systems to augment their physical security, and ID document scanners are at the heart of these systems. When employers walk into their office building, they would have to scan their ID against a reader to be granted access. Some companies also use ID scanners to verify people’s identity before they can log into their computers.
Airports/Country borders
Before passengers can board an airplane, the airport staff has to confirm their identity. They use ID scanners for this so they can flag fake international passports and report them to the authorities. This also applies to country land borders. Border patrol checks the ID of people coming across their border to verify that they have permission to enter.
Financial institutions
Banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions use ID scanners to verify the identities of customers opening new accounts, credit cards, or taking loans. They also check people’s identity when they want to perform high-volume transactions. This helps them prevent fraud and money laundering.
Rental service companies
Companies that let people rent their cars, boats, bikes, apartments, and other properties use ID scanners to confirm the identity of the people they are entrusting their property to. Some rental services have age limits, so this verification process ensures that the renters are over that limit.
Endnote
ID document scanning is a common activity in today’s society. An ID scanner will authenticate documents to be sure the person presenting it is who they claim they to be. The scanner also spots fake IDs and this helps establishments prevent fraud.
