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In more than 100,000 municipal ID applications, city reports 2 fraudulent cases – Metro US

In more than 100,000 municipal ID applications, city reports 2 fraudulent cases

In more than 100,000 municipal ID applications, city reports 2 fraudulent
Bess Adler/Metro

More than 100,000 New Yorkers have applied for the new municipal ID program since it launched 10 weeks ago, with only two instances of reported fraud.

About 83,200 actually have the card in their wallets or purses.

Over 350,000 people have requested appointments, with thousands more calling every day, said Steven Banks, commissioner of the Human Resources Administration that oversees the program.

The HRA reported two unrelated cases where a person tried to get a card using another person’s name and documentation. Both were denied.

Also known as IDNYC, the card is good only in the five boroughs but accepted by NYPD and other city agencies as valid identification.

Queensites lead in enrollments, with more than 34,600 applicants. Brooklynites follow closely behind with more than 30,800 people, while about half as many Manhattanites have applied — about 14,900.

The Bronx had some 17,100 applicants while Staten Island had close to 3,500.

“The unprecedented demand for IDNYC speaks to how much immigrant New Yorkers needed a government-issued ID card,” said Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Nisha Agarwal.

Any New Yorker at least 14 years of age, regardless of immigration status, can apply for the card as long as they can prove residency in the city.

Free for the first year, the card also offers year-long memberships to 33 different culture institutions across the city.

The immediate popularity of the ID card caught the administration by surprise, with long waits at enrollment centers forcing officials to offer appointments on line.

The website crashed within hours of launching, but has now helped bring in thousands of applications and eventually to more hires to help process requests.