Nevada agency chooses ID.me’s biometric verification to prevent unemployment claim fraud

Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) has partnered with ID.me to implement online biometric identity verification technology on its website to prevent fraud, writes the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The pilot program aims to filter unemployment claims and detect fraud attempts. The user receives an email from DETR with a link to the ID.me page for identity verification with facial biometrics. The self-service effort takes less than 10 minutes to complete, according to the report. A video conference with an ID.me “trusted referee” is also available, if the first process fails.

In an interview with Review Journal, ID.me confirmed the pilot was rolled out “for a few thousand unemployment claims.”

It has not been disclosed if the technology is deployed for either Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims or Unemployment Insurance benefits, or both.

“The challenge of preventing fraud through better identity verification is a national problem, not a state one,” the ID.me spokesperson told the publication. “Organized crime rings have been trying to exploit the situation around COVID to defraud state agencies of their own funds as well as the additional money supplied through federal stimulus programs under the CARES Act. Our goal is to help state agencies identify the legitimate claimants so that they can quickly pay the benefits out to those families in need.”

ID.me boasts a large customer portfolio for its biometric identity authentication system, including labor agencies in Georgia and Florida.

According to previous statements from local government and DETR, there has been a high fraud rate in relief claims which has ultimately led to payment delays.

In June, ID.me raised $8.3 million in new capital following increased demand for selfie biometrics and ID checks.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  fraud prevention  |  ID.me  |  identity verification  |  online authentication  |  pilot project