There are so many ways to make money - I listed it there because it really wouldn't surprise me, and it wouldn't be hard to add facial recognition linked with government databases - even add automatic tattling to authorities with requests for the reward money for the tip....
It could be 100% automated depending how good the algorithm is, but honestly if he did a system like this he'd probably pay someone minimum wage, or even get a free intern to verify hits....
Also, a Mars colony is a bit soon... Lunar should be the first stop because it's much closer and easier to send rescue and would provide us with a lot of the answers regarding how to survive on another surface... Another option, for expanding population which is easily obtainable is underwater colonies - which doesn't protect us fully as a species if there is another mass impact, but it could offer some protection...
Mars is a great idea, when we have engines to reach it in a shorter time-frame... Can you imagine living on another surface, it sounds great until you get into all of the technical stuff... Yes, there is ice so they have water, and they can generate oxygen, there are LEDs meant for growing so they can easily grow micro-greens or other nutrient rich, 10 day cycle plants to eat for dirt-cheap and survive but you'd basically need to live on that stuff for the rest of your life... Everything they'd have, they'd need to bring with them, or make when they get there - so they'd need to mine, refine, create which is hard... Being isolated from everyone you've ever known - we are social animals afterall - is devastating to our psyche...
Until we can send 10,000 people to Mars, it really isn't worth it - sure a simply colony needs to go there first to build housing, farms, mines, etc... and to test the waters, but there's so much work to be done...