Security News > 2021 > March > Pair accused of turning photos into vids to crack tax dept facial recognition system in China
A duo in China has been accused of tricking a government-run identity verification system to create fake invoices.
According to state-controlled outlet Xinhua, the suspects tricked the State Taxation Administration platform's identity verification system by manipulating high-def photos with a widely available app that turns photos into videos.
The defendants then obtained a smartphone that allowed them to bypass its camera during facial authentication, instead feeding their doctored videos into the system.
The facial recognition system fell for the ruse and authenticated the people depicted in the videos, prosecutors claim.
China was an early adopter of facial recognition identity verification and the technology now permeates everyday life as a common authentication method in retail transactions and to access government services.
China also makes extensive use of facial recognition as a security measure.