Peace sign selfies can expose your fingerprints to criminals: Here’s how

Modern flagship smartphones shoot photos sharp enough to read business card text from across a room. When a hand is raised close to the lens in a peace sign pose, that same resolution captures fingerprint ridge patterns in enough detail for AI-enhancement software to reconstruct a partial but functional biometric copy.

Recently, the Oklahoma-based Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning via Sheriff Chris Elliott based on this particular tactic, which has proven itself to be a threat. It is also one of the areas of concern for the FBI since the necessary technology becomes increasingly affordable and available to criminals.

The fingerprint that is reconstructed in this way does not have to be perfect, which means a large part of it will be enough for the verification process to pass successfully because many commercial biometric technologies use only partial fingerprint matching.

Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Informatics demonstrated years ago that fingerprint data could be captured from photos taken several feet away.

While this applies universally, the driver should be extra cautious since fingerprint-controlled ignition, in-car payments, and remote app management with fingerprint login are already becoming features in several models from various companies. Your fingerprint is now more than just your banking credential since it may now affect your physical security through your car as well.

Car culture results in too many instances when hands are featured in photographs: steering wheel, gearshift, trophy or even posing on the podium. One should consider the image of your fingertips before sharing them online.

To ensure maximum protection, the Wagoner County Sheriff's Department suggests not posting any pictures with clear-cut fingerprints, enhancing privacy settings in social networks, and opting for multi-factor authentication using a strong alphanumeric password.