The National Identification Authority (NIA) is raising a red flag — and it’s a serious one. At a press conference marking Identity Day, the Authority’s Executive Secretary, Wisdom Kwaku Deku, delivered a clear message: Photocopies of the Ghana Card are not secure, and they should not be used for identity verification.

“Photocopies don’t prove who someone really is,” Deku stated firmly at the NIA head office in Accra. “Only biometric verification — like fingerprints or facial recognition — can do that.”

The Real Risk? Fraud.

According to the NIA, relying on hard copies or scanned versions of the national ID opens the door to impersonation and identity theft. Anyone could walk into a bank with a copied card — and there’s no real way to tell if they’re who they say they are.

“At no point should anybody use a photocopy,” Deku warned. “The moment you do that, you haven’t actually verified the person’s identity.”

So What’s the Solution?

The NIA is urging banks and other institutions to plug directly into their biometric systems for real-time authentication. That means confirming identities with fingerprints or facial scans — not paper copies.

The call comes as digital security and data protection take center stage in Ghana’s financial and civic sectors. As Deku emphasized, “Authentication must come from the source — from us.”

Source:TheDotNews