Operation Prevent<\/a> puts DMV investigators on the ground to detect fake IDs at CMAC in Canandaigua, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Jones Beach, and Lakeview Amphitheater.<\/p>\n\u201cDMV investigators, who are sworn law enforcement officers, have been involved in Operation Prevent for many years,\u201d said PEF member and DMV senior investigator, Katie Bender. \u201cThe goal is to curb underage drinking, as well as curb the use of fraudulent documents by those individuals. Additionally, we will conduct enforcement details in conjunction with other local and state police agencies, as well as the State Liquor Authority, at bars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catching these underage drinkers before they can buy alcohol is key and helps save lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to reduce and eliminate the chances of a young person driving away from one of these venues intoxicated and then hurting or killing themselves or another person in a crash,\u201d Bender said. \u201cI have also witnessed some of these young people having to be treated by emergency medical personnel due to the over consumption of alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n
Investigators not only detect and prevent teenagers from drinking by seizing their fake IDs, they also examine the fraudulent documents and can identify trends and test out technology that might assist front-end DMV staff when issuing IDs.<\/p>\n
As a senior investigator in the License and Registration Unit, Bender works with people throughout the state who have fallen victim to identity theft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe victim may have discovered a vehicle in their name that they did not purchase or some other misuse of their license,\u201d Bender said. \u201cWe also investigate identity takeover cases, where one person jumps onto another person\u2019s record to assume their identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bender worked previously in the DMV\u2019s REAL ID Unit, ensuring the accuracy of REAL ID application documents; in the Fraud Unit, investigating cases where an individual holds multiple records or opens cases with fraudulent documents; and at an Auto Theft Site, where she worked to deter the use of stolen parts to repair salvage vehicles.<\/p>\n
A PEF member since 2006, Bender took a roundabout way to reach her current position.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to college with the intention of becoming an English teacher or pursuing a career in that field,\u201d she said. \u201cI took one criminal justice class as an elective and I was hooked.\u201d She went on to earn a bachelor\u2019s in criminal justice and worked as a paralegal after graduation. Bender\u2019s parents, who were union members and public servants in county and state government service, encouraged her to explore state jobs. That encouragement led her to where she is today and to PEF.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do enjoy my job as a public servant,\u201d she said. \u201cIn my current position, I am able to help someone who may be a victim of identity theft by explaining steps they can take to protect themselves, as well as investigate and pursue the perpetrator.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Teenagers attending concerts across the state could find themselves confronted by state investigators from the Department of Motor Vehicles if they flash fake IDs in hopes of purchasing alcohol. \n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"division":[],"allowed_regions":[],"allowed_divisions":[],"class_list":["post-562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-39-no-7"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDMV investigators target identity theft, underage drinking - PEF Communicator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-39-no-7\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DMV investigators target identity theft, underage drinking\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Teenagers attending concerts across the state could find themselves confronted by state investigators from the Department of Motor Vehicles if they flash fake IDs in hopes of purchasing alcohol.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-39-no-7\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PEF Communicator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-09-07T18:25:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-08T19:05:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/dmv.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-39-no-7\\\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-39-no-7\\\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ccanham\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"headline\":\"DMV investigators target identity theft, underage drinking\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-09-07T18:25:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-08T19:05:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-39-no-7\\\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":515,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-39-no-7\\\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2021\\\/09\\\/dmv.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-39-no-7\\\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-39-no-7\\\/dmv-investigators-target-identity-theft-underage-drinking\\\/\",\"name\":\"DMV investigators target identity theft, underage drinking - 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Teenagers attending concerts across the state could find themselves confronted by state investigators from the Department of Motor Vehicles if they flash fake IDs in hopes of purchasing alcohol.<\/p>\n