Taking a page from the FBI, USAA now is using facial and voice recognition to allow customers in the U.S. to securely access their account information using mobile devices.

USAA said this week it is the first U.S. financial institution to offer both on a mobile application. The biometric technology is designed to protect customers against fraud and identity theft.

The San Antonio financial giant has been working on the technology with Daon Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia, for more than a year, said Gary McAlum, USAA’s security chief. Following a successful pilot in Texas and elsewhere, USAA has rolled it out in about two dozen states.

Authenticating a user’s identity “through biometrics is one of the most effective ways to increase security protection as traditional passwords become obsolete,” McAlum said.

In September, the FBI unveiled its Next Generation Identification System, a facial recognition technology that allows the agency to digitally compare criminal mugshots in its database.

USAA is using it as a way to stop criminals.

Fraud and identity theft have been big problems for financial institutions. An estimated 16.6 million people were affected by identity theft in 2012, causing almost $25 billion in financial losses, according to a bureau of the Justice Department. McAlum couldn’t say how much identity theft has cost USAA members.

“Facial recognition is definitely going to reduce the incidents of fraud. There’s no doubt about it,” said Rajender Thusu, an analyst with Frost & Sullivan.

USAA’s mobile app allows users to pay bills, make deposits and transfer money. The facial and voice recognition is available through an update to its app for Apple and Android devices.

USAA’s facial recognition requires users to look at their mobile device’s screen and then blink their eyes when prompted.

“The technology prevents somebody from taking a photograph and using that to authenticate as you, because you’ve got to blink,” McAlum explained.

For voice recognition, users must speak a short phrase.

Thus far, USAA customers overwhelmingly prefer using facial recognition over voice, McAlum said. Voice is susceptible to background noise, which can slow down the authentication process, he said.

For facial recognition, USAA members will receive feedback if there is not enough light to recognize facial features.

Meanwhile, McAlum said USAA plans to test the use of fingerprint identification to log into its app. It should be introduced for customers by the middle of the year. He expects customers will be evenly split between using fingerprint identification and facial recognition.

“We think this technology will sell itself over time,“ McAlum said.

USAA has about 10.6 million members, composed of current and former members of the military and their families.

pdanner@express-news.net