A frugal life is an easy life!

With an ever widening range of new technologies and the perceived "benefits" of being able to use them, why are we constantly faced with companies and government bodies demanding "original documents only?"
We are sold technology en-masse yet cannot escape that when we - the people - want to use it to make our lives a little bit easier, it remains unacceptable and original documents must be used.
What is the point of us all paying for this?

I can send an email anywhere in the world within seconds (at a line and service monthly cost).
I can scan a document/certificate for the price of a scanner and attach it to an email or post to a designated website (again at a cost to me for the technology).
I can send a fax from home of the document/certificate to any designated number around the world (using a fax/scanner).

When I have to prove who I am to a company or government department, only the original documents are accepted.
This costs me in special recorded delivery payments, takes days before they are returned, with me running the risk of whether or not my documents are lost or stolen.
Of course, these same companies/government depts claim it is to prevent fraud, but do nothing when any form of new helpful technology is brought out and sold to us, proclaiming it will save us all time and because of this, money.

Ridiculous in this day and age that I continue to have to pay out over inflated prices to send original documents through the post, when the technology to send pictures, emails, faxes of said documents is sitting in my living room, doing nothing and never getting used.