The article reports one bank executive was freaked out by the possibility of a camera phone user being able to take a photo over the shoulder of someone completing a loan application.
Michael Behn, CTO for Citizen's Bank, says he first thought camera phones were cool. But he was concerned about snapping a photo of a loan application.
"It dawned on me: I can't let this go on in our lobbies," Behn says. So now you can't use your cellular phone at all at Citizen's Bank.
Reality?
I wonder if Behn has ever tried to take such a camera phone photo to see for himself whether it's possible for someone to (1) take a camera phone photo unobserved that (2) is good enough display the information.
I suspect he hasn't. I suspect he just made assumptions.
Other banks are scared that cellular phone voice conversations could be used to help carry out robberies. Hats and sunglasses could be used as disguises.
I assume the next article I read will be banks demanding their customers enter the building naked.
South African robbers
From picturephoning.com I just saw this relevant article about thieves in South Africa taking camera phone photos of people withdrawing money from a bank and sending the photos to accomplishes who rob the victims sometime afterwards, according to The Herald.
Police Captain Verna Brink says, "This way the person is not actually followed out of the bank, and there is very little suspicion aroused."
The police are asking banks to enforce policies that prohibit cellular phone use.
It is incredible: in England there are "hat-free" pubs. No mention yet of camera phone bans...
Direct links to posts:
http://hartfordyorkhats.blogspot.com/2006/04/cheers-your-hat-is-security-risk.html
http://hartfordyorkhats.blogspot.com/2006/01/hat-non-sense.html
Posted by: Steve Singer | Friday, August 11, 2006 at 12:27 PM