Fake ID scanners: unmasking counterfeit identity documents

Counterfeit documents are a serious challenge for industries from retail and banking to transportation and hospitality. As forging methods become more sophisticated, it gets harder to identify fakes. In this article, we explore the uses of fake identity documents, and how scanning solutions help combat them through faster and more accurate authenticity verification. 

A brief history of fake IDs

In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, illegalizing the making, transporting and selling of alcohol. Despite the restrictions, the demand for alcoholic beverages remained high. Very quickly, speakeasies opened in the big cities, attracting many Americans struggling with the prohibition. As a result, individuals sought to gain access to hidden speakeasies and secret gatherings, leading to a growing need for false identification. And that’s when forgery of driver’s licenses and IDs, took off. 

During this era, formal identification was not as standardized as it is today, making it simple for forgers to create convincing fakes. The lack of security features in the official documents of the time, combined with limited means of verification, made it challenging to detect fraudulent documents. Additionally, the absence of centralized registers and the reliance on paper records made it difficult to cross-reference an individual’s identity quickly. 

Evolution of techniques

Printing technology and materials soon improved significantly, allowing the creation of more convincing fakes. With the advent of digital technology, the production of fakes entered a new era. With sophisticated software and equipment, fraudsters could now create forged documents that could barely be distinguished from real ones. 

To combat this, authorities introduced security features such as holograms and UV ink, attempting to stay one step ahead. Fraudsters, however, adapted. Counterfeit IDs and driver’s licenses today often include scannable barcodes or magnetic strips, holograms, and UV-reactive elements, making them very hard to spot. 

Despite all countermeasures, fake IDs continue to be a widespread problem across a range of industries. 

Fake ID use today

According to a Lantern survey, 69% of college students have owned or used a fake ID. This is often a driver’s license, the most common primary ID in the United States. Additionally, every state has its own design, complicating checks. Crimes involving fake driver’s licenses contribute to significant societal costs, with underage drinking alone accounting for $61.9 billion annually in the United States.

Forged IDs are a widespread issue across many industries, though their exact purpose varies.

• Nightlife and entertainment: Here, fakes are primarily used by underage individuals to enter bars, clubs, and restricted venues or to purchase alcohol and tobacco illegally. 
• Financial services: Counterfeits enable fraud, allowing individuals to open bank accounts, apply for credit, or launder money under false identities. 
• Employment and immigration: Fake IDs are used to gain jobs without true authorization, misrepresent immigration status, or present false qualifications. 
• Education: People use forged IDs to cheat on exams, misrepresent qualifications for admissions, or gain access to restricted areas. 
• Healthcare and insurance: Individuals use fake documents to illegally obtain medical services and prescription drugs or falsely claim insurance coverage. 

Risks and consequences

The use of fake IDs such as driver’s licenses can have grave consequences. To begin with, they facilitate underage drinking, which often results in unsafe behaviors because alcohol impairs judgment and delays reactions. 

In the short term, this leads to alcohol poisoning and accidents – including fatal ones. Alcohol-related accidents frequently involve underage drivers. On the road, these young people don’t just endanger themselves, but also pose a serious risk to other road users. There are also long-term consequences: College students using fakes are particularly vulnerable to developing alcohol use disorders. 

Meanwhile, businesses caught serving alcohol to minors face fines, license suspensions, and even permanent closure. 

Using a fake identity document also spells legal trouble. It is a criminal offense – a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the jurisdiction – and can carry jail sentences as well as fines of up to $100,000. This can leave young individuals with a criminal record, jeopardizing opportunities for scholarships, financial aid, housing, and future employment.

Additionally, fake ID use is directly linked to identity theft, as the personal information used to create a forged ID is often stolen from real people. Counterfeiters may use personal details like names, addresses, and social security numbers, often obtained through data breaches. This exposes the original person to identity theft, which can have long-lasting consequences. 

Fraudulent IDs and driver’s licenses are a threat not only to individual lives, but also to businesses and public safety. To prevent fraud and protect public well-being, effective anti-forgery solutions are crucial. 

The role of scanning technology in verifying identity documents

As fakes become more sophisticated, so do the methods to detect them. Today, there are multiple ways to check for a fake ID or driver’s license. Scanning solutions play a vital part in that verification process.

ID Card scanners often use pattern-checking technology and AI image processing to check whether an identity document might be counterfeit. The former analyzes the scan at a micro level to detect discrepancies in fonts, spacing, and complex imagery. The latter uses artificial intelligence to compare scanned documents against official templates and analyze thousands of data points in seconds.

Apart from these physical characteristics, the actual information on it can also be verified by using data capture solutions. Many IDs feature the same information both in human-readable and in machine-readable form. A data scanner allows you to immediately check whether both sets match up. Additionally, the extracted information can be checked against authoritative databases. 

Scanbot SDK scanning solutions

The PDF417 barcode on the back of a U.S. driver’s license contains personal information about the cardholder, such as their name and date of birth. The Scanbot U.S. Driver’s License Scanner SDK parses the barcode in less than a second and returns human-readable information, which can then be cross-referenced against the details on the front of the license. 

Many other identity documents also support PDF417 barcodes for this purpose. Another common feature is a Machine-Readable Zone, or MRZ. 

The Scanbot MRZ Scanner SDK can quickly and reliably extract data from machine-readable zones on IDs and passports. All relevant data fields are extracted and returned as key-value pairs. Again, these can then be cross-referenced to the information described on the front of the identity document. The SDK can be easily integrated into web and mobile applications. 

For added security, you can connect your app to a database for cross-referencing. This way, the extracted information can be verified against official information to confirm authenticity. 

The MRZ Scanner SDK can also be deployed in use cases other than ID verification. For example, Red Cross Flanders uses our MRZ Scanner SDK to collect patient data. Previously, they used eID scanners together with paper forms – a complicated workflow that delayed treatment. Now, patients receive immediate care while volunteers simply scan their MRZ. 

Conclusion

Forged official identity documents have been around as early as the 1920s. However, over the past decade it has become harder and harder to distinguish fake IDs from real ones. Fortunately, verification technology too has evolved. Scanners play a vital role in this development, partly by reducing input errors through reliable data extraction. 

Fake IDs are widespread and affect not only individuals, but also businesses and society in general. The consequences can be life-changing, both for users and victims. Therefore, fast and reliable authenticity verification tools are a worthwhile investment to ensure public safety – and protect your business.

Interested in a scanning solution for your use case? Get in touch with us!