Home Affairs investigating 21 identity theft and fraud cases, Schreiber says - IOL
The Home Affairs Department says biometric systems help detect duplicate, fraudulent, cancelled, blocked or otherwise invalid identity records held on the National Population Register.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber says his department is investigating 21 cases involving identity theft and fraudulently obtained identity documents.
Schreiber was responding to a parliamentary question from EFF MP Thapelo Mogale, who asked how many identity theft and fraudulent identity-document cases the department was investigating, and what mechanisms were being used to identify and flag fraudulently obtained documents.
Mogale also asked whether Home Affairs had an information-sharing arrangement with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to ensure identity documents suspected of fraud and under investigation were detected and prevented from being used for voter registration and voting.
Schreiber said the cases were being investigated by the department’s Branch: Counter Corruption and Security Services.
“Internal disciplinary proceedings will be initiated if evidence is uncovered that Home Affairs officials aided and abetted imposters to acquire SA-enabling documents unlawfully,” Schreiber said.
Cases involving prima facie evidence of criminal conduct would be referred to the relevant law enforcement agencies for criminal investigations.
Recommendations would also be made to the relevant business units to apprehend foreign nationals who acquired enabling documents unlawfully, and to assist affected citizens who fell victim to identity theft.
Schreiber said the department uses biometric enrolment and verification processes supported by identification systems and the National Population Register to detect duplicate, fraudulent or compromised identities.
The department also verifies source documents and supporting records against the National Population Register and related departmental systems.
Risk-based system controls, exception reporting and investigations arising from complaints, intelligence reports and internal detections are also used to identify suspected identity fraud.
Schreiber said the department also works with law enforcement and security agencies to investigate and address suspected identity fraud.
Schreiber confirmed that Home Affairs and the IEC have information-sharing and verification arrangements supported by an electronic interface and system integration. This enables identity information submitted during voter registration and voting to be verified against the National Population Register (NPR) and related Departmental systems.
He said identification systems support the integrity of the National Population Register through biometric verification and the detection of duplicate, fraudulent, cancelled, blocked or otherwise invalid identity records.
The DHA and IEC also engage through established intergovernmental co-ordination structures on election preparedness and the integrity of identity information used in electoral processes, said Schreiber.
