NEWS: Thieves Steal Finger

In Malaysia, a man's finger was severed, because his high end Mercedes had a high-tech fingerprint recognition entry and ignition system. The thieves simply cut the man's finger off and used it as a key. The high-tech security was easily defeated using primitive tactics.



It was only a matter of time until this example was realized in the real world. It has been extensively done in movies and books. In Dan Brown's, "Angels and Demons", an eye was removed to defeat a retina scan security system. In the movie, "Galactica" a fake finger with a blood sample in it was used to get past a blood analyzing identification system. A hand was severed for a hand-print activated lock in another film. It's a simple low-tech way to defeat complex, expensive, high-tech systems.
This is clear proof that all these biometric I.D.'s, etc. are not better mousetraps, but rather, the source of meaner mice.
Will biometric identification stop identity theft or terrorism? No, is the simple answer. The more complex answer, as illustrated so eloquently by these Malaysian thugs, is that it actually endangers us more than it protects. So why should we allow the governments and media of the world convince us that we "need" it for security?
A biometric I.D. has a peice of your body on it. It will only work to identify innocents, and criminals will work around it by stealing body parts and other biologicals.
Remember when you could walk into a bank and say, "I will take $20, 000 dollars from my account", and the teller would reply, "Why certainly Mr. Smith!". There were no magnetic strips, bar codes, or scanners. The teller knew Mr. Smith because she recognized his face and voice, and nobody but Mr. Smith would convince her to give money from the account.
There is more protection from identity theft when identification is the actual you and not just a piece of you. Perhaps some kind of personal relationship network vouching system would be a better alternative to fight this apparent rash of identity theft.



[edit on 18-4-2005 by billybob]

This incident simply highlights the fact that Mercedes used a cheap fingerprint scanner in their vehicles. High security versions of such biometric devices actually check for conductivity to see if the finger is attached to other living tissue. If not, you might as well rub a stick against the sensor.

serves the guy right for cheapin' out and buying a mercedes.
tissue can be kept artificially alive. a 'slave' to man's whims. better mousetraps breed better mice.

p.s. i started this thread. vote no. it's a repeat.

to the people who voted no: bad grammar or spelling. go to school, or conversely, go to a less anal school.
to the people who voted no: not right. it is TOTALLY conspiracy related, duh.

I have been totally against biometric devices and have said time and time again that this would happen.

Well it happened. I have started threads in the past attempting to highlight the danger and ignorance of the acceptance of these devices.

To those who thought I was just being dramatic all this time -
I told you so!

really? a finger print scanner can check for living tissue? That is just incredible. One of the most interesting things that I have ever heard. Wow, we are a lot more advanced than I imagined.