Fingerprints to shop

[Gonzo]

it makes me uneasy. How about you?

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO - You'll soon have to provide a fingerprint to go shopping in Jefferson County. Consumers using checks or credit cards will have to give their prints to merchants.

It's a new tactic aimed at cracking down on identity theft and catching crooks who use fake IDs. Already, people cashing payroll checks at King Soopers have to give a fingerprint

The touch pads are easy to use and don't leave residue on your finger. Police agencies say the policy has resulted in less check fraud. They are now asking all merchants in the county to require fingerprints.

"The important thing about this to remember is that it doesn't put an honest customer's fingerprint into a database somewhere,” said Sgt. George Hinkle. “The only people that are actually going to have their fingerprints processed are the crooks."

The fingerprints will be kept on file until the transactions clear. If there's a problem, the prints will be passed along to investigators. The new policy will take effect throughout Jefferson County in the next few weeks.

 

[Q]

Are they taking fingerprints of all 10 fingers, or just a thumbprint, like the banks do?
Kinda sounds like there is a lotta room for error. If they somehow got your fingerprints hooked up with a stolen check or card by mistake you couldn't even prove yourself innocent with your own prints. Kinda scary.

 

[DarkPrincess]

RIght index finger I believe. We already have to do that to cash checks and some stores make us do it for credit cards.

 

[DarkPrincess]

BTW...I live in Jefferson County CO.