Sharing Those Images

In another biometric development, U.S. Biometrics says its fingerprint technology is the first to offer a shared biometric database. According to the company, financial institutions that use the product have access to a database built of records from across the nation at locations where non-customers must use a fingerprint to cash a check.

U.S. Biometrics' product compares a check casher's fingerprint to those stored in the national database and confirms a positive history or flags a potential fraudulent transaction. The system displays within seconds the check-cashing history of the person cashing a check.

U.S. Biometrics also recently rolled out a hand-held device that sells for $75 that allows online bankers to plug a fingerprint scanner into their PCs and use their fingerprints to log onto banking accounts.

Copyright © 2005 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 15, No. 5, 6/05