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Ask HN: Why don't banks take your photograph?

4 points by alex_martin ↗ HN
Simple really - I can pretend to be my friend at the bank to withdraw cash at the counter with his card. I can't sneak into the gym with his card for there. And they are still MASSIVELY reliant on signatures.

Seems like it would be so simple to just take a photo of customers when they join.

8 comments

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Dysiode
A local college partnered with a local bank for some time to offer a Debt Card/Student ID which I missed out on but would find extremely useful since I proffer my driver's license every time I hand over my card.

With that said, I have no answer to your question, although I might come Monday if I get the time to call and find out.

brk
Why would you instinctively offer your drivers license? That is just increasing the chance of fraudulent use of your card.
Dysiode
How so? Or am I underestimating the prevalence of fake IDs such that my name and photo are no longer valid points of verification? This can be more easily battled with a photo on the card itself. Unless of course I would simply underestimate the prevalence of people scanning said photo to use on the fake ID which shouldn't match and could be further battled with a hologram over the photo, or, with Lytro, a holograph of the person.

With all that said, I don't understand how it could hurt more than help. Do explain!

xuki
Hmm that's weird, I thought you need some kind of ID with picture on it if you want to withdraw without your PIN
tokenadult
There are camera all over banks. (Not just to watch for bank robbers, but to watch for tellers and other bank officers committing embezzlement.) Engaging in a fraudulent transaction inside a bank is a crime that leaves behind a lot of evidence with which you could be convicted of a felony.

P.S. Doesn't everyone know how to spot (some of) the positions of security cameras inside places of business? The trick is that there may be additional cameras in locations unknown to you as you enter the bank, besides the camera that you should be able to see. As far as I know, in most countries all automatic teller machines have cameras to record every transaction.

krevis
Some banks have. In the mid-90s, Bank of America used to take a photo, and put it on their debit and credit cards -- in fact, my (much newer) cards still have that same photo on them.

No idea if they still do that. I don't get the impression that it was a huge boost for security. Nobody pays all that much attention to the photo.

kamkha
Bank of America does this for newly issued accounts and cards (both debit and credit), too, unless you specifically request a photo-less card.
robflynn
I remember having one of those cards (with a photo on it.) I always found it amusing when I was asked for photo id upon using it.