I have never understood this either. These procedures must be a relic from a time when most people did not have access to laser printers.
Similarly when I went to renew my drivers license, they required proof of my social security number. My old license (with a picture of me, holograms, etc.) wasn't acceptable, but a health insurance card that could have been printed by anyone with access to a laminating machine was perfectly fine.
If we're going to rally against archaic "security" practices can we start to jerk about signatures? I'm not sure how my scribbles identify me when the person looking into it has no clue if those are TheCapn's scribbles or Brucehart scribbling "TheCapn" all signature-like.
except that if you are caught, it is a federal offense at least in the US to forge things such as utility bills etc. It is more of a deterrent than anything else against outright fraud.
Similarly when I went to renew my drivers license, they required proof of my social security number. My old license (with a picture of me, holograms, etc.) wasn't acceptable, but a health insurance card that could have been printed by anyone with access to a laminating machine was perfectly fine.