U.S. Department of State  Bureau of Consular Affairs Passport Fraud and Vital Records Karen Pallas Fraud Program Manager Seattle Passport Agency

Travel Requirements All U.S. citizens over age 16 returning to the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda must present one of the following travel documents:  U.S. passport  U.S. passport card  Enhanced Driver’s License (showing identity and citizenship)  Trusted Traveler Program Cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST)  U.S. military identification (when traveling on official orders) U.S. citizens under age 16 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory may also present original or copy of birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or Naturalization Certificate. U.S. citizens traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, are required to present a U.S. passport. This applies to everyone including newborns, infants and children. (Exceptions for U.S. military and U.S. citizen merchant mariners on official business.)

A U.S. Birth Certificate: Evidence of Citizenship In 2012, about 7.2 million applications for a U.S. passport were accompanied by a certified U.S. birth certificate issued by a state, county or other local authority. A U.S. birth certificate is the most common type of evidence of U.S. citizenship received with a passport application.

Ways Vital Records’ Offices Are Combating Fraud: Internal Controls Issuing secure tamper-resistant documents Tighter security safeguarding public information

Ways Birth Certificates Are Misused in the Passport Process: Counterfeit Altered False Delayed Deceased Identity Impostor

Working with Bureaus of Vital Statistics to Detect and Combat Fraud Keeping open line of communication with passport agencies and embassies/consulates abroad. Informing passport agencies when birth certificates have been fraudulently obtained/used (BC is flagged). Informing BVS when a U.S. passport has been fraudulently obtained/used (passport is revoked). Performing record verifications when a clarification of a birth/death fact is needed. Learning about each other’s processes and documents in order to improve fraud detection.

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Fraud Program Managers