Sharing ID Scanner Data

Giving Your Customer Demographic Data Away

There is an ID Checker company who wants to collect your customer data and give you some on-line reports.  This start up believes they can make money selling this data to consumers who will pay to see the demographics of your bar. They sell you an ID Scanner Age Verification system and then  collect zip code (which can indicate how rich/poor your customers are), date of birth (to calculate age), and gender.  With this data, they provide a profile of clients to their customers who are trying to  find bars with the right mix of rich/poor young/old males/females.  Its an interesting idea.  But as a club owner, you should consider the following before agreeing to give away this customer data.

• Will your clients like to be categorized to the rest of the night life community?
• Will clients shun your business if they can see you business has the wrong mix of girls/boys.
• Will broadcasting your client mix attract the wrong group to the club.  Lets say you hae a rich clientle and perhaps it will attract folks from the other side of the track. 
• What happens if a virus or trojan infects the ID Check and starts sending data to identiy thieves.  Is the club liable?  Who is liable?
• How will your competitors use this data?  Do you want your business client data broadcast to your competitors? 
• How accurate is the data transmitted to consumers?  What if a competitor decides not to scan IDs of the males in order to boost the girl/boy ratio?  What happens when a competitor scans 50 young girls IDs into his system at the start of the night to boost his numbers.
• What do you tell clients when they ask why you are letting their personal data be transmitted to the entire city?  What kind of signage should you display at the door - "We are allowing some of your personal data to be sold so consumers can identify what bar is good for them."

Its your client data, think before you share it. 

 

ID Scanner Warning Signs - Questions to Ask

Here are some things to ask and look out for when buying an ID Scanner.  These questions are designed to help you figure out if your buying for somebody who is truely in the ID Scanner industry or just a company reselling whatever gadget sells well.

 

1.) How many years have you been selling ID Scanners?  - Look for a company has been in the industry for a few years if not ten or more. 

2.) Ask if their product detects Fake IDs.  If they give you an unqualified YES, then you know you have a sales person and not an industry expert on the phone.  ID Scanners will detect some fakes but they can not detect all fakes.  A non-industry expert will promise the machine will "stop fakes" when they should promise that it will "stop SOME fakes"

3.) Ask if their company is part of the BBB.org - this organization is where customers can file complaints about a company and where you can see how many complaints have been filed.

4.) Ask some technical questions about the product.  If the sales person has to put you on hold or call you back, run away.  You are not dealing with a person knowledgable about the product.

5.) Ask what their return policy is.  Make sure you can return it if you don't like it and get your purchase price back. 

6.) See if they sell other products like locks, safes, POS equipment, walkie talkies, etc.  Companies that resell these items typically are just marketing companies.  Try to deal with a company that manufacturers, services and sells their product as they can service and repair in house and are more concerned with supporting end customers.

7.) Go to the about page and look up their address.  Then go to Google Maps and see if the address is a home address or mail box etc rented post box location.  Nothing wrong with working with a guy working out of the basement, but if they can't afford a commercial office, how likely are they to be around next year?

 

ID Scanner by The Keg

BREAKING: The Keg of Evanston will reopen Thursday night, owner says

By Marshall Cohen

Published: Thursday, March 8, 2012

Updated: Thursday, March 8, 2012 20:03

From - http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/city/breaking-the-keg-of-evanston-will-reope....T1nzNnnwMzk

 

The Keg of Evanston will reopen Thursday night, owner Tom Migon told The Daily in an exclusive interview.

Chicago-based licensing attorney Barry Holt, who is handling Migon's appeal, said The Keg, 810 Grove St., could legally reopen and sell alcohol because a higher judicial body is reviewing the revocation decision issued by Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl.

Migon told The Daily last week he had appealed Tisdahl's decision to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Todd Stephens, the attorney who handled the Evanston liquor board hearing, also confirmed the appeal last week.

Tisdahl revoked The Keg's liquor license Jan. 30, just three days after a hearing of the city's Liquor Control Review Board. In her written decision, she pointed to the climbing number of alcohol-related citations issued to underage patrons at the bar — 111 since 2005, including 19 in January alone.

In a statement released exclusively to The Daily, Migon warned underage drinkers from attempting to return to the downtown bar and said he bought new technology to weed out increasingly sophisticated fake identification.

"The Keg has purchased a Z-22 mobile ID scanner as an additional safety device," Migon said in the statement. "This scanner reads driver's licenses and state issued IDs with magnetic stripes and 2D bar codes from 50 states; all Canadian provinces; and military IDs."

Migon met with Tisdahl "concerning the particulars of the appeal" on Thursday, according to the statement.

City spokesman Eric Palmer did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday.

Holt added that he expected to find out next month when the appeal hearing will occur.

The full text of the statement is below:

On Thursday, March 8, 2012, the Keg of Evanston reopened for business. The Keg is permitted to be open by virtue of the automatic stay provisions of the Illinois Liquor Control Act when an appeal has been taken from a decision of a local liquor commissioner suspending or revoking a liquor license. The Keg has filed an appeal to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission from the order entered January 30, 2012, by the City of Evanston local liquor control commission.

There have been news stories and other innuendo inferring that the ownership of the Keg was responsible for or had previous knowledge of the contents of a much-reported Twitter account. This Twitter account made statements to the effect that the Keg somehow either condoned or turned its back on underage drinking. Ownership of the Keg vehemently denies making any statements in any Twitter account or even having any knowledge of or connection with that Twitter account. The comments contained therein are completely opposite of the feelings of the Keg towards underage drinking and admission of minors into any establishment serving liquor.

The Keg will not only continue to deny admission to its premises to persons under the age of 21; the Keg will become even more pro active in the prosecution of minors who attempt to gain admission to the Keg by using false or altered identification.

All readers of this statement should know that no one is permitted into the Keg without a state or school issued driver's license or identification bearing the picture and birth date of anyone seeking admission. Furthermore, anyone must have additional identification that is consistent with the photo ID in order to gain admission to the Keg.

The Keg wishes to warn any persons under the age of 21 seeking to gain admission to the Keg that they will be required to have a photo taken with their ID by the camera system that is maintained at the door of the Keg. Furthermore, the Keg has purchased a Z-22 mobile ID scanner as an additional safety device. This scanner reads driver's licenses and state issued IDs with magnetic stripes and 2D bar codes from 50 states; all Canadian provinces; and military IDs. This scanner and the camera which has been in use at the Keg examines every person coming into or seeking to gain admission to the Keg.

The Keg will actively cooperate with all police agencies and aid in the prosecution of any minors seeking to gain admission to the Keg by using false or altered identification (no matter how sophisticated it may be).

While the Keg acknowledges that its ownership met with the Mayor of Evanston concerning the particulars of the appeal; out of respect for the City of Evanston and the legal process, ownership declines to and will not reveal any of the contents of said meeting.

The Keg wishes to send a warning to any minors in the North Shore area that may have the wrong perception concerning the Keg's admission policies. Do not attempt to come to the Keg. You will not be admitted and you will be prosecuted which could result in your loss of driving privileges and your being fined.

Ownership of The Keg of Evanston

ID Checker purchased after License Suspended for Underage Alcohol Sales

ID Checker purchased after a liquor license suspension.

Most merchants wait to purchase an ID Checker until they get a ticket or the store next to them does.  Unfortunately, this behaviour is like buying a fire extinguisher after having a fire.  Merchants don't realize the risks they face by not having an ID Scanner with Age Verification software.  These machines automate and document the ID Checking process.  They wait until an event to invest.  Don't wait for a ticket to invest.

 

June 17, 2011

Written By: Staff Writer, Travis Brown

SNOW HILL -- The sale of alcohol to minors recently cost several Worcester County businesses a combined total of $7,250 in fines. Additionally, one business will have its license suspended for 30 days during the busiest time of the year.

While the fines were distributed between five businesses, the store hit hardest by the Worcester County Board of License Commissioners (BLC) Wednesday was the Shop Kwik located in the Food Lion Shopping Center in Berlin. The store appeared before the BLC on two separate sale to a minor charges, incidents which occurred this spring a little more than 30 days apart.

The first violation involved a new cashier and a can of Four Loko. A Worcester County Sheriff’s Office attempted to purchase a can of the popular and colorful alcoholic beverage Four Loko. The cashier, Shailesh Patel, was eight hours into his first day working at the store and had lived in the United States less than a year. Attorney Paul Ewell asserted that those were the reasons Shailesh Patel made the sale without first checking the 18 year-old cadet’s driver’s license.

“This young man was confused when he saw it [the Four Loko],” said Ewell. “He didn’t realize what he was doing.”

According to Ewell, the Four Loko can looks deceptively like most non-alcoholic energy drinks. While the can has several markings displaying that it is indeed an alcoholic beverage, Ewell said that Shailesh Patel’s relative newness to America made it easy for him to miss the signs. To further illustrate his point, Ewell entered a can of Four Loko into evidence, though Sheriff’s Deputy Jennifer Hall, who wrote the original incident report, informed the BLC that Ewell had brought the wrong color can. However, he stood by his point, asserting that most anyone could get mixed up with the drink.

Ewell also argued that the cadet had “hurried” out of the store when one of Shailesh Patel’s co-workers spotted his mistake and came over to card the cadet. Hall refuted the claim, promising the BLC that her cadet had exited the store at the same regular pace she always did, and that no one on the premises attempted to halt her or card her at any time.

“She did not rush out of the store … she would have stopped [if asked],” said Hall.

The second incident, which took place just over a month later, involved owner Vinod Patel, who sold beer to a different underage cadet. In this case, Ewell asserted that Vinod Patel was distracted by a request for help from one of the gas pumps. Vinod Patel then claims he mixed up the cut-off date for tobacco with that of alcohol.

Since both violations last spring, Vinod Patel has made changes to his operation, according to Ewell. He’s created a database of all alcoholic drinks in his store so a Four Loko mix-up won’t happen again. He also has a new ID scanner which alerts the clerk if the driver’s license scanned is under 21. With what he hoped were mitigating circumstances and with the improvements Vinod Patel has made to his system, Ewell requested that the BLC not hit his client with a license suspension, only a fine.

“A suspension this time of year would create a hardship…it could lead to one or more persons losing their job,” he said.

Despite the case Ewell presented, the BLC still felt a suspension was needed. Much of the justification came from the fact that Vindol Patel had three previous violations on his license over the last 16 years while working at a different location. Though he only claimed two, BLC records showed him connected to the third violation on the day before he moved his license. Between those three violations there were $4,500 worth of fines and 45 days of suspension, total.

With everything considered, the BLC levied a $2,000 fine for the first violation and another $2,000 fine for the second. They also issued a 30-day license suspension effective Thursday at 8 a.m. Ewell requested that the suspension at least by held until after Labor Day to allow his client to take advantage of summer business.

“I have to look you in the eye,” said BLC President William Esham. “We’ve never done that.”

The BLC denied the request to hold the suspension, and warned Vinod Patel to make the necessary changes to his operation, as he now has accumulated five violations in a little over 15 years.

While the Shop Kwik caused the biggest splash during the meeting, four other businesses also were fined with illegal sales to minors. Town Market Basket in Snow Hill escaped in the best shape with only a $250 fine. Both the 7-Eleven on Philadelphia Ave in Ocean City and the Super Soda Center in Snow Hill were fined $1,000 for violations.

Newark Station, much like the Shop Kwik, had to answer for two violations, this time both within the same month. However, the license lacked the history of violations that had contributed to the harsh penalties against Vindol Patel. Newark Station paid $1,000 total in fines, $250 for the first incident and $750 for the second.

http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/articles/2011/06/17/Top-Stories/Area-Store-Lic...

ID Scanner at 2011 Atlantic City Beer Festival

Normal 0

Tokenworks® Provides ID Scanners for Estimated 20,000 Attendees at ‘Celebration of the Suds’ Beer Festival.

Bronxville, NY – March 23, 2011 – Tokenworks® Inc. will provide ID scanners for the 2011 Atlantic City Beer Festival taking place at Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 1 and 2, 2011. Tokenworks card readers will be used at all event entrances to quickly verify and document the age of all event attendees. The ID readers boast a technologically advanced, handheld, portable and rugged design that makes them ideal for large conferences where rapid ID checking is needed in multiple locations.

Attendees to the event must be 21 years old with valid ID to attend. ID card scanners comprise a vital part of Beer Festival’s security program. Atlantic City Beer Festival Planner Anthony “Bert” Bertino says of Tokenworks, “Your ID checkers allow us to capture vital information concerning clients who are attending the event. The ID checkers are part of an aggressive identification verification process, to insure that no under-age patrons are admitted to the event.” Accurately verifying age is a legal necessity for any operation or business that sells age-regulated products. With the proliferation of underage drinking and fake IDs, advanced ID scanning technology is necessary to protect the safety of patrons and businesses. “It only takes one yahoo,” ID scanner specialist and security expert specialist Luke Weinstein states, “to cause an accident or to cause a business to jeopardize its liquor license.”

Tokenworks provides robust and flexible ID checker solutions for many large events and has provided ID readers for the Atlantic City Beer Festival since 2009. “This is the third year for us utilizing these scanners, which allow us to quickly ID check and capture 20,000 customers for the event,” states Mr. Bertino. Tokenworks President Charles Cagliostro commented, “We are excited to provide ID readers to the ‘Celebration of the Suds’ event. Our IDVisor Z22 Mobile unit's fast throughput, long lasting battery, rugged design and large memory capacity make it perfect for large events or organizations. We have best price/performance ID scanner, bar none.”

A Drivers license scanner enables event staff to quickly check the age of each attendee before they are allowed to visit the show floor. An event staff person swipes or dips an ID card through the ID reader, and the attendee’s age is instantly displayed on the screen. The card scanners are easy to use and allow event managers to rest assured that staff is properly checking each ID. Mr. Bertino praises the foolproof operation of the scanners: “The ease of use, by employees who are unaware of this type of technology, solves a major training issue.”

Tokenworks ID readers are widely used at convenience stores, liquor stores, bars, and nightclubs across the United States and Canada. Their handheld ID checkers can read drivers’ licenses from all US States and Canadian provinces, as well as military IDs and state ID cards. The company’s reputation for reliable, simple operation and durable hardware has made them the leading provider of ID card reading solutions throughout the United States.

About Celebration of Suds

The Atlantic City Beer Festival, better known as the ‘Celebration of the Suds,’ will showcase 750 beers from over 90 individual breweries, including Dog Fish Head, Brooklyn Brewery and Magic Hat. The festival has quickly grown throughout its six-year history to become Atlantic City’s most anticipated event. The ‘Celebration of the Suds’ is expected to attract 20,000 attendees over a two-day period. Approximately 1,500 vendors will offer great food and retail items, and live music and guest speakers will provide a thrilling experience for event attendees. The festival aims to bring together beer lovers of all kinds, from aficionados to casual drinkers, to meet with brewers and discover new brews. Learn more about the beer festival at http://www.celebrationofthesuds.com.

About Tokenworks

Founded in 1998, Tokenworks provides a full-range of magnetic stripe and barcode ID card scanners for age verification and lead capture. Tokenworks is located in Bronxville, New York and sells across the United States and Canada. Visit http://www.idscanner.com to learn more or buy online. 1-800-574-5034 / sales@tokenworks.com

Fake ID Scanner - Believe it or not!

Does an ID Scanner stop fradulent drivers licenses?  Its not a simple answer.  Here are the conditions that an ID Scanner will catch a fake.

Some fakes have a barcode but the name in the barcode does not match the name printed on the front.  The better ID Scanners will display the name and if the operator notices that the name on the ID Scanner screen does not match that printed on the license, a fake will be detected.

Some fakes have unreadable barcodes.  This is because the barcode is streched / cutoff / shrunk and is there just to fool a human.  But if the machine can't read it, then its likely to be a fake.  This is because barcodes are very readable and to demonstrate, NY punches a 1/4" hole in the barcode of the drivers license when its expired.  Barcode readers can still read this barcode because there is redundant data in the barcode.  So if the barcode can't be read, its very likely a fake.

Some fakes, when scanned will not have a recognized data format.  So the scanner will say something like unrecognized format. 

Some fakes have altered printed data.  Using ink or by punching small holes, the date of birth or expiration text will be modified so that a eight will look like a three.  The Drivers License Scanner will read the correct information and warn expired or underage.

But there are fake IDs that will scan through an ID Scanner.  Its like Fake $20 bills.  They range in quality and the same is true of fake IDs. So don't believe any company that claims they can stop fake IDs.  They should claim they will stop SOME fake IDs but it depends on who is making the fakes.

 

ID Scanner installed after incident at Temple Night Club in San Francisco

Tragic Incident at Club in San Francisco leads to security measures including installation of ID Checker

From Bay City News - http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/01/man-killed-at-temple-nightclub-donates-organ...

A University of California at San Francisco medical student who was killed at a South of Market nightclub earlier this month has saved lives as an organ donor, San Francisco General Hospital officials said today.

Joe Hernandez, 30, was found unconscious on the floor of the Temple nightclub on Howard Street early the morning of Jan. 9.

He had apparently been hit in the head with an object. Doctors were unable to save him, and he was put on life support for several days until his organs could be donated.

Hernandez had made clear to his family that he would be willing to be an organ donor, hospital officials said.

"Joe was very healthy and wanted to save lives even in death. It was something that was important to him," his family said in a statement released by the hospital today.

Hernandez, a fourth-year medical student at UCSF, had recently trained at San Francisco General Hospital.

The family requested that the specific details of the organ donations be kept private but were glad to be able to raise awareness about the importance of being a donor, hospital spokeswoman Rachael Kagan said.

Last year, 10 San Francisco General patients donated a total of 48 organs, hospital officials said.

Cathy Olmo, manager of community development at the California Transplant Donor Network, said one organ donor can save up to eight lives.

"Some people in need have been waiting for years; unfortunately some cannot survive a long wait," she said. "For each of them, donation means another chance at life."

No arrests have been made in Hernandez's murder, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said today.

Another man, age 26, suffered minor injuries in the same fight in which Hernandez was killed, police said.

About 20 minutes after that fight, a second fight broke out outside the club in which two men were stabbed with broken bottles. Both survived their injuries.

Since then, the club has added security measures including more security cameras and the installation of ID scanners.

The club has also been banned from serving bottled beer on Friday and Saturday nights, and is required to administer pat-downs on all patrons entering the venue, said Jocelyn Kane, executive director of the Entertainment Commission.