DES MOINES, Iowa -- Supermarkets are taking their fight against identity theft and check fraud to another level.

Hy-Vee has started using a fingerprint-based detection system for check cashing at its stores.

Archie Carpenter regularly shops at Hyvee. He cashes his payroll checks there every two weeks. He used to flash his photo identification; now he uses a fingerprint.

"It's good, so no one steals my check and cashes it without me," he said.


The first time a customer comes in to cash a check, the clerk scans their driver's license. Then the customer's finger is scanned.

When the customer returns to the store, his or her finger is scanned again for a fingerprint match and the information about the check he or she cashes is stored in the system.

"We've had problems with customers who have altered the driver's license, customers that use another person's ID," said Antonio Romeo, a manager at Hy-Vee.

Hy-Vee is also concerned about computer fraud.

A spokesperson with Hy-Vee's corporate office said thieves can make a "remarkable" duplicate of a payroll check.

Since implementing the fingerprint scanning technology, Hy-Vee said it has noticed a significant decline in bad checks it has taken.

The check-cashing process does take a little longer, and the store manager said there was some negative feedback at first.

Dahl's grocery stores are also testing the technology. A manager at Fareway said it might not be long before every grocery store has a fingerprint-based kind of system.

Cub Foods in Ames uses a fingerprint scanning system that allows customers to pay for their groceries.