HarborOne a National Leader in Adopting Photo ID Scanner

BROCKTON, Mass. OCT. 28, 2004 – HarborOne Credit Union is meeting the risk of identity theft with new technology to scan and retrieve member driver’s licenses. The Brockton-based credit union has deployed ID scanners in its 12 branch locations. Once scanned by customer service representatives, member photos are available to staff throughout the credit union for identification purposes.		“Michael Ciampi, Branch Officer at HarborOne Credit Union’s Abington branch, demonstrates COCC’s new ID scanner to member Connie Rhodes.”

“Identify theft is prevalent today,” said Elaine Keneklis, Senior Vice President, Branch Administration Division at $1.1B HarborOne. Keneklis explained that ten million Americans were victims of identity theft last year, making this the fastest-growing criminal threat. Industry experts estimate that identity theft accounted for $50 billion in losses in the past year alone. “ID scanning is part of HarborOne’s proactive approach to protecting our members and their accounts,” said Keneklis.

The scanning technology was introduced this summer by HarborOne’s data processor, COCC, located in Avon, Connecticut. COCC’s Director of Network Services, Brent Biernat, explained that the new scanning technology was only one part of the ID theft busting solution.

“Our account processing system allows credit unions to accept photos and other forms of identification,” said Biernat. “Older account systems are restricted to words and numbers. Using our system, HarborOne is able to access the ID information throughout their branch network and their back office, making this a truly comprehensive approach to preventing ID theft.”

HarborOne now scans member driver’s licenses whenever new accounts are opened. It takes 3 seconds to scan the driver’s license or other form of picture ID. The credit union is encouraging all members to take advantage of the scanning program to help prevent identity theft.

“The ID scanner is also a great tool in the branches to expedite customer transactions,” Keneklis added. “Staff can provide quicker service since they recognize member. If a deceitful person tried to take money from another member’s account, the scanned ID will not match the person in front of the teller, and the fraudulent transaction would be stopped.”

HarborOne Credit Union is one of the first financial institutions in the country to deploy ID scanner technology. Richard W. Bastiansen, Senior Vice President in HarborOne’s Operations Division said that ID theft prevention is a top priority for the Credit Union.

“Working closely with COCC yielded a cost-effective, easily-implemented solution in a relatively short time,” said Bastianen. “The new scanning device has the added benefit of streamlining compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, section 326 regarding the mandatory Customer Identification Program.”