Homeland Security – Study Finds Serious Vulnerabilities in U.S. Passport Process

An investigation conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found serious weak spots in the process of issuing of passports, raising concern over terrorists’ access to American identities.

According to the report, “terrorists or criminals could steal an American citizen’s identity, use basic counterfeiting skills to create fraudulent documentation for that identity, and obtain a genuine U.S. passport.”

The GAO used counterfeit methods to successfully obtain passports in four different tests. In one case, the GAO investigator used the identity of a man who died in 1965.

The investigator was also able to purchase an airline ticket and bypass airport security using fraudulent identification.

According to the report, U.S. Department of State officials said fraud detection efforts are “hampered by limitations to its information sharing and data access with other federal and state agencies.”

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Highlights