Immigration Law

Trying To Stop Passport Fraud

By Robert Kraft

Parade.com has an interesting story about U.S. passports, and the ease with which they can be fraudulently obtained. This is apparently a big problem, and should be addressed as soon as possible by the government. Here are excerpts from the article: 

Alarmed by a government report revealing how easy it is to obtain a fraudulent passport in the United States, lawmakers are calling for changes to the system. 'A U.S. passport is a key to virtually anywhere in the world,' says Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.). A recent report from the Government Accountability Office showed that an undercover investigator was able to procure four U.S. passports by using fraudulent documents.

Says Laura Tischler, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, 'The report says we need to do more, and we are doing more.' The State Department recently gained access to the Social Security Administration's master file of deceased persons to ensure that criminals won't steal those identities. It is also improving oversight of the passport system and seeking access to state databases so that officials can confirm the validity of drivers' licenses and other documentation.

Full post as published by Immigration Law Answers Blog on May 18, 2009 (boomark / email).