New facial recognition software has helped authorities detect dozens of attempts by fraudsters to claim welfare benefits using multiple identities over recent months.
The system involves comparing photographs of applicants captured during the registration process with all photographs held on the Department of Social Protection’s database.
To date, 62 cases of suspected fraud have been referred to An Garda Síochána or the Department's investigations unit.
One of the cases involved an individual who used false identities to fraudulently claim some €478,000 in welfare payments.
In all, the individual has 12 claims for jobseeker’s allowance, rent supplement and other benefits.
He received a five-year custodial sentence at Dublin Circuit Court earlier this year.
The Department invested recently in “cogent facial image matching software”, to ensure that multiple or fraudulent identities can be detected .
During the registration process for welfare benefits, the software searches the applicant’s photograph against existing photographs on the Department’s database to ensure they have not been registered previously for a personal public services number.
All matches are immediately sent to the Department’s special investigation unit and are prioritised for investigation.
Identity fraud
Identity fraud is a matter which generally falls under criminal justice legislation and all such cases are referred to gardaí for investigation.
The State has received €250,000 in savings as a result of weeding out bogus jobseeker’s benefit and rent supplement claims.
Overpayments amounting to just in excess of € 1 million linked to the use of multiple identities are being investigated.
The vast majority of people on social welfare are, however, claiming the correct entitlement.
Research indicates fraud is involved in about 3 per cent of benefit payments, though this remains a significant sum when set against the €19 billion annual welfare budget. Other cases finalised in court in recent months as a result of the facial imaging software include an individual who received a two-year custodial sentence for fraudulently claiming €62,000.
Another individual was handed a three-year suspended sentence at Longford Circuit Court for obtaining €59,000 through use of multiple identities.
The offender’s suspended sentence was conditional on repaying all money defrauded within a five- year period.
Last May another individual received a three-year custodial sentence - with 18 months suspended - for using a false identity to obtain €17,000 in welfare benefits.
