An ATM the KGB Would be Proud of

An old Russian proven tells us that, "with lies you may go ahead in the world, but you can never go back."

But with some new ATM technology being tested out by Russia's Sberbank, a dishonest customer would be lucky to get anywhere at all.

As reported by The New York Times, Russia's biggest (and also government owned) retail bank's new ATMs are something the K.G.B would be proud of. In verifying a customer who might be seeking a credit card or loan, the ATM does more than ask name and date of birth:

The machine scans a passport, records fingerprints and takes a three-dimensional scan for facial recognition. And it uses voice-analysis software to help assess whether the person is truthfully answering questions that include “Are you employed?” and “At this moment, do you have any other outstanding loans?”

The interactive ATM's software can apparently detect stress and nervousness in a customer, and use those emotions along with credit history to determine whether a new customer is worthy of a line of credit. Sberbank plans on deploying the ATM as a means of automating more services, and currently has a prototype at its Branch of the Future laboratory, the Times reports.