Today, individuals present government-issued identifiers and documents to assert their identity, including birth certificates, Social Security numbers and driver licenses. These documents verify a birth, verify income and verify driving privileges. They do not identify a person. They were never intended to be used for identification and therefore do not contain the information needed to identify. The documents may be valid, however it is not possible to confirm that the presenter is the individual to whom they were issued.

The use of stolen, forged or purchased identity documents, coupled with the circular nature of their issuance, presents numerous opportunities for individuals to fraudulently create and use multiple identities. A birth certificate is used to obtain a passport, which is used to obtain a driver’s license. Each is accepted to open a bank account, receive medical care, prove eligibility for employment, receive public service benefits or register to vote. If a document is fraudulently obtained at any point, the door is open to identity fraud, terrorist activity, and huge costs in fraud and abuse.

Preventing identity fraud and protecting citizens’ privacy will not be accomplished until individuals are identified. Identification is only possible using unique physical characteristics, not information or documents that can be easily learned, purchased, stolen or forged. To prevent fraud, the identification process must also tie the individual to one identity to prevent the fraudulent use of multiple identities. This is the critical step provided through certification in TASCET. Certifying the identity ensures that the individual is not using multiple identities within different organizations to fraudulently obtain state-issued credentials, open a financial account, receive medical care or gain employment.

TASCET provides the infrastructure and certification process needed for the identification of individuals. This infrastructure works across sectors to prevent individuals from misusing private information to gain multiple identities and commit identity fraud, whether at state agencies, financial institutions, healthcare facilities or with employers. TASCET stops individuals who attempt to use the private information of another individual to impersonate them.