I manufactured fake IDs before being convicted for my crimes. I'm currently free and will answer most questions but won't identify myself.
Edit: Seems to have died down mainly. I'll check back every once in a while and answer new questions if people are still interested. Thanks all for participating.
I'm currently free and will answer most questions but won't identify myself.
Just make yourself a fake I.D.
Pennsylvania? I heard that a guy that did (and helped some of my friends) it was recently stopped.
I recently went to a party and passed around my PA drivers license and asked people "Is this the best fake ID you've ever seen or what?" Then they all started pointing out things about that they thought gave it away as a fake ID, but they said "Wow, but it's still really good, I bet it'll fool most people. It's got a good picture and the holograms and everything!" I look like I'm about 17 years old. What they didn't know was that it was actually a real ID issued from PENNDOT as I am actually 21. It was a good party, but really crowded. Then it got busted up by the cops and I contracted swine flu.
Not Pennsylvania (but I made that state). Sad thing is that often times people do get real IDs taken due to weight loss etc. I had reports that IDs of mine passed with a cop and the guy was only arrested when they tried to run his fake ID name through the computer system and it just wouldn't pull any info up.
I heard there were some fake IDs that would actually scan with the magnetic strip successfully in the state run liquor stores in PA. Is that true?
Sure, Mag strip encoding is not too difficult. I didn't mess with it personally because it's not commonly used in my home state. The Mag strip uses a type of programming language just like any other. I worked with making the 2D barcodes scanable which was fairly easy. For examples, they'd just have a line that said DAB01011999 and it would mean Jan 1st, 1999 for the birth date. That's making it sound a little simple but yes, possible.
what type of encoder did you use?
I didn't do Mag strips other than just messing around. I just did barcodes.
Dude, I am sick with swine flu and am tripping balls on dextromethorphan (cough syrup), my brain is pretty fucked right now. I was just rambling.
Take it from me, if you were really tripping balls on DXM, you wouldn't be on reddit.
This guy might be right. Did it make you nauseous? I feel really sick to my stomach right now. I also feel excited and depressed at the same time.
You generally feel sick for the first hour or two, and then it tapers off.
It lasted like 5 hours. It was a baaaaad idea. No wonder the shit is legal.
If you were really tripping on DXM last night, you'd be feeling it for the next three days. I don't remember exactly why that happens, but it really fucks hard with your serotonin levels.
I'm pretty dizzy right now, and I couldn't fall asleep easily so I got very little sleep. Standing up feels weird. I don't know if the dizziness is from the DXM or the flu, or serotonin syndrome. Is there anything else you experienced?
If you were to buy a quality ID today, you could expect to spend $200. You can find them for less but for the best, you can expect to pay more. I charged $100 on average, with different fees depending on options like correct UV, correct holograms, barcode encoding etc.
How much profit did you make from one? How much do the supplies for "the works"(holo, UV, etc), cost?
The first ID I ever created was printed in normal printer paper and glued to a old hotel keycard. I kept it in the clear flap of my wallet, and the liquor store accepted it without question. Thinking back, they must have known that it wasn't real. It really looked terrible, but it was the motivation necessary to get me on my way. As to the skills, I just answered that below.
Most of the time a quick glance at the birthdate is all the store needs to cover its ass. In my state, during sting operations the kids must show ID when asked, and the ID must be legitimate. So it is safe to assume that all IDs are legitimate, if that makes any sense.
Plus, in the case of a lot of liquor stores and bars, they want to allow the underage kids to buy alcohol so they can have additional profits. Sure, there's plenty of bars that don't want to serve kids but in a college town, they hardly mind the extra profits.
How much money did you invest in equipment?
How did you finally get caught?
How much profit did you make?
You To Apps Trick On Must Best Iphone Have Voice Changer Your The I started with $400 and reinvested some of the profits in equipment. At the time of my arrest, I had roughly $10,000 - $15,000 in various printers, computers and supplies.
Someone from years before finally turned on me. Due to the circumstances, I plead guilty instead of having a trial I had a chance at winning.
Roughly $20,000 / month.
| 3. Roughly $20,000 / month.
With that amount of tax-free income...... what is the most outlandish and unneeded thing you bought?
I wish I had some crazy story about an elephant ride through downtown NYC or a barrel of drugs but I wasn't like that. I'd say probably clothing. I thought I should look good and spent a lot of money on suits. Either that or jewelry. No, not a huge chain but just as useless.
That money was my cut. The actual business income was higher but cuts were given to the lower sellers etc. Everyone made a lot of money and was happy.
No, I mean after you were busted--you said you had hidden some of the money and they didn't get it all.
Were you charged with conspiracy then too, for working with others? Or what were you charged with?
sorry if you already answered this elsewhere, I'll keep looking
I claimed full responsibility and they were unable to prove the involvement of anyone else beyond a reasonable doubt. This was in large part due to me insisting that I was a 1 man operation and the fact I did not keep record.
They actually offered me a plea deal involving naming my con-conspirators which I turned down. I'm a real loyalty kind of guy and I wasn't facing enough time to worry about it anyways.
Both happened. If they used their real names, they could use a ATM or Credit Card as proof of identification to help convince any on-the-fence bouncers. I never received confirmation on this but I believe you can also be charged a crime for impersonating someones identity if you don't use your real name.
I am going to chime in. Where I am located right now, if you are caught with a fake ID and the name on the card is other than your own, you will be charged with two charges. One being impersonation.
My friend got caught with a fake ID and the police told him that they were going to check the drivers license number and if it belonged to somebody else he would get charged with identity theft. It didn't and he got charged with false identification (and an underage)
That's a very good point. I'm not going to offer anything to verify my identity. Maybe my intimate knowledge of the subject will suffice?
What ended up being your punishment? Jail time?
Did they also take away your earnings? You said you made 20k a month so you must have still had a decent amount left over.
I didn't keep a record of what I made. I didn't keep it in the bank either. They seized what they could find and had no way to do anything else about it. I also spent a lot on stupid things.
Did you hide away any money that they didn't find?
Not much. I got some items as well. They only seized electronic equipment from me.
What is the one item you wished they hadn't seized?
The money does not count, the porn on your HDDs does.
Edit: Did you get any of it back or was it seized for good?
I wish they hadn't taken my personal computer. I lost every picture, every movie, everything I'd ever saved, just related to my life, not crime. A lot of irreplaceable stuff. Porn can be redownloaded.
I got a few choice things back, like my social security card (real one) that they assumed was a fake. Nothing important or that I really wanted.
How long were you running this ring?
How long did you take you to make each card?
I ran it for about 2 years with small breaks.
It took me about 5 minutes per card, and I'd just pound them out each morning. Some days I'd do 10, sometimes 30 but it rarely took more than an hour. All my templates were self created and easy to edit. Just change the text, picture etc and I'm done.
5 minutes per card...you're faster than the DMV
edit:gramer noob
I also did this, and also did an AMA where I went into a LOT more detail about precisely how to go about doing it and where to get information/supplies because I knew that's exactly what people would want: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9i7fk/i_made_super_highquality_fake_ids_in_college_ama/
It didn't get many questions because it got caught in the idiotic fucking spam filter (I suspect). I honestly wonder how many cool AMAs and other posts we never get to see because of the overzealous spam filter on here: you know those AMAs people would post and be like "I submitted this before but it didn't show up for some reason, I don't know what happened, so I tried again, let's see how this goes."? I've seen several of those: spam filter caught the first one. NO self posts should end up in the spam filter, and this ought to be a REALLY easy fix to implement.
Edit: Oh, btw, I'll confirm this guy is for real based on what I've heard him mention about the equipment, teslin, etc. Who the fuck else would know what teslin is?
It might not have been spam. It's a legal gray area to tell people how to do something illegal and reddit may not want that on their website. I personally would not endorse creating fake IDs, and I myself do not drink although being of age.
The spam filter sucks. It buried both my threads about haunted house acting.
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/9nxmz/im_a_haunted_house_actor_at_an_award_winning/
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9mv1p/i_work_for_the_1_charity_haunted_house_in_the_us/
Did you ever make any that said McLovin' the Organ Donor from Hawaii
That was the most common joke people would make. It got old very fast. I never actually made one but people loved to say, "Make me McLovin'" and chuckle like fools. I'd feel like getting angry but smile and take their money anyways.
I'd feel like getting angry but smile and take their money anyways.
This made me giggle
What era were you operating in? Do you think you could do as good of a job today?
During this decade. ID technology is largely the same today and with the exception of a few states, such as NY, I could continue to produce them.
New York uses laser engraving technology that creates a sort of 3D hologram effect. If you had a laser engraver, you could do it, but the equipment itself is so expensive, it wouldn't be worth trying to duplicate.
Yeah, I live in NY, and these new ID's are ridiculous. The hologram is far too good to be faked well.
Yes, because it's not technically a hologram but tiny holes punched in the ID material.
Clever girl...
So you just catered to youngsters who wanted to buy booze and get into clubs, etc?
Youngsters aka College students yes. I wouldn't have made a 14 year old an ID if I had known their age etc. I also didn't make any for anyone who looked way too old to be under 21. I believe the drinking age in the United States is wrong. Sure, I could voice my support or write a petition but it wouldn't change anything. I enabled 19 and 20 year olds to drink alcohol. Sure, there was financial gain as well, but it was one of the factors into what I did.
There's a different market for those who are illegal aliens and need fake IDs.
That's true, but it's hard to tell who is an illegal alien wanting a job and who wants to steal the identity of a hard working American for pure criminal profit. I had some morals for being a criminal and that isn't something I'd do.
I also didn't make any for anyone who looked way too old to be under 21.
What was his / her reasoning for asking to be UNDER twenty-one?
I think OP desired to make them for minors to purchase alcohol, not for people to impersonate other people / illegal aliens to have an authentic-looking ID.
I understand that; however, please read what I quoted. That means someone, at some point in time, asked him to make them younger. I'm asking for their reasoning.
No, he said that he wouldn't make an ID of any age for someone who appeared to be clearly over 21.
Excactly, now why the hell would anyone want an ID that confirms that they are under 21?
am i the only one who is getting what TarmacSTi is saying?
No. No. No. What he's saying is an illegal immigrant, clearly over 21, asks for an ID. That ID might have an age over 21, it might be under... it doesn't matter. The point is, the OP knows it's not for a kid buying alcohol because the buyer is already clearly over 21, and the OP doesn't want to support falsifying working documents, etc.
Thank you. I'm glad I don't have to try and explain that this morning. I didn't mean to imply that someone over 21 would want to be younger. Unless they wanted to get around statutory rape laws, in which case I definitely wouldn't have made one. Yes, that's literally the only example I could come up with.
I did make a few under 21 IDs but only for people under 21. Usually to get a tattoo etc.
That isn't what he's saying.
He would not make a fake ID for any person who was clearly older than 21. He did not an old guy asked for one that stated they were under 21.
I still work for myself, with computers. Just legally this time. Graphic design, internet marketing etc.
What items are used in making a fake id? Did you use a real address or just make up one? Would it loook weird if someones pic would look really young while the d.o.b will be over 21?
I made addresses up. There was no reason to have a real address because the only purpose I sold IDs for was to have younger college kids 19-20 drinking. It wouldn't matter if someone looked young because there's plenty of older people who look young. If you're 12, that's another matter, I also wouldn't have made one for you.
The items involved with making an ID change depending on the methods used but common items include teslin, pvc cards, laminate, holograms, etc.
How does one go about faking a hologram? Also, I was dissecting my old license (PA) the other day and noticed it is made with two sandwiched pieces of plastic. Is this normal? (I was hoping for some RFID tag or something in the middle, it was just gluel) Another thing I noticed was a small embossed keystone on the front. Did you ever include this in your fakes, or figure nobody ever noticed it?
For the most part, I used a generic hologram, as I made out of state IDs and a bouncer didn't even know what to look for. There are ways of faking the hologram that work pretty well such as using an old ALPS printer to trap Pearlex powder to the laminate.
Each state is different and has different amounts and types of laminate / holograms / UV ink.
How did you choose the license numbers? I realize bouncers aren't going to be validating these, but perhaps they'd be able to recognize a fake one (or one that "looks" to be widely used for that purpose)?
License numbers vary by state so that question is kind of dependent on location. However, most license numbers follow a simple code. For example, one state may do something like make the first two letters of the license the same as the first to of the last name, i.e. Mary Smith could be SM29381. You get the picture.
Do you still have the money earnt from your operation or was it confiscated?
Not money anymore but items. Cars, clothes, etc.
What type of cars did you purchase? I saw that you bought fine suits previously.
Nothing super flashy to be honest. A Buick, A Nissan and a Harley
How did you buy those cars? I'm assuming they didn't just let you use cash, did they?
Why wouldn't they? As someone who used to sell cars (new and used) we preferred cash deals. Less paperwork, and I get paid quicker on the deal.
Do you feel responsible in part for any of the alcohol-related deaths among underage kids in your state?
That's a pretty good point. I don't feel responsible, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't. I think that our current drinking age creates a culture that creates drinking problems. Look at the US compared to European countries. Our problems with alcohol are much worse and I believe at least partially related to the drinking age.
Maybe I am partially responsible in the sense I provided the means to acquire a deadly substance. The government provides gun licenses in much the same way. There's too many factors at play for me to feel directly responsible.
Can you recommend a good place to get a fake ID for under $100? Would this ID suffice to get into clubs and bars?
I'm not supporting fake Ids in anyways. It's currently illegal in all states obviously.
I've always been into computers, so I had some skill with image editing, etc. Prior this past year, there was a wealth of information available on the internet and torrents. There used to be a community of fake ID creators that got shut down about a year ago. All in all, someone, maybe the government, has done an incredible job regulating information.
Scan at 1200 DPI and go over very very carefully. I would take so much time to make a new template because I only had to do each one once.
To my knowledge, I never dealt with carders etc. I primarily intended to give college kids the means to drink a year or two early. Best story would probably be some of the memories I have of ridiculous things I wasted money on. Having that much cash on hand, I was terrible with spending it and I couldn't exactly spend it in a bank. One time at a strip club, after spending a couple thousand $ on dances, I drunkenly attempted to purchase a stripper. Guess they aren't for sale...
After the first few months, I very rarely met people in person. I had a web of contacts that found clients, and I dealt primarily with people I trusted. Word of mouth was the advertising that brought the money in I'm sure.
Guess they aren't for sale
They are frequently for rent though
You The Iphone Must Your To Apps Have Best Trick On Changer Voice What was the demographic of your clients? Were they teenagers who wanted alcohol, or meth heads who wanted to open credit card accounts under other people's names?
And did you ever have any older people getting fake ID's to appear younger?
I answered these in a bit more detail below. They were all young college students as far as I could control.
Did you ever bother with passports? If so, did you actually forge them, or arrange for stolen ones to be altered?
Nope. I read up about it a lot but each page of a passport requires a lot of work and they don't have much use except for extremely criminal purposes.
Easy and relaxing. Really. I'm well liked and very calm so I made friends quickly without any unnecessary arguement etc.
What precautions did you take with regard to security? Did you have a front business or some other money laundering op? What did you put on you IRS forms? Did you personally deal with every customer, so any of them felt inclined, they could have turned you in? What was your net profit throughout the operation, and what was the worth of all the things that were confiscated?
Sorry, I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but this is interesting.
In regards to security; After the first few months, I never met anyone in person, only people who worked for me. So I had some level of plausible deniability. I had a security system, safe etc. I could have done more securitywise but was too lazy to.
I did not have a front business. I just kept my money in cash and occasionally deposited small amount in a bank account. Less than the average weekly wage I'm sure. I didn't report any of the income on my IRS forms.
I didn't deal with any of the customers once I got serious. It would go: customer --> worker --> me so I dealt with a very small amount of people. The guy who turned on me, knew me from the first few months so his information was almost 2 years old.
I'd have to estimate my net profit at something like $250k. Not drug cartel type money but certainly a very healthy living for an hour of work per day. That's about $350/hour.
Everything the confiscated was probably $20k. It's hard to say.
How many were you making in 1 hour? Thats sounds ridiculous a good one usually takes 2-3 hours to make.
It took me 10-20 hours to make a template. Once I had a template, it would only have to change the name, picture etc. So that's why I could do it so quickly.
Depending on the state, either with a PVC printer (similar to the DOT) or with a specialized inkjet printer and laminate.
I used to do this as well, and had a fairly sophisticated op/setup. I used an Eltron double-sided printer with mag encoder that I bought off ebay, and a custom app a friend wrote to encode the mag stripe in the proper format.
I did holograms using the light/heat created silkscreens and a certain type of gold/red ink I'm sure you know about.
What states did you make mostly, and what type of equipment were you using? Teslin?
My most popular states were Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts and California (Yes, even with 3 color UV).
I didn't use silkscreens as they didn't give me a detailed enough image, I sure tried them though. I modified a cheap inkjet to print with customs inks to create semi-holograms. Sometimes, for cheaper IDs, I just used generic holograms that I ordered online (Like USA etc).
I worked with teslin / txp depending on the state or printed on a PVC card. I experimented a lot with laminates, i.e. crystal, diffused, satin etc until I got something that looked like the original ID.
You mentioned red/gold ink? Were you making IL IDs? A couple years ago they just had a shiny red text across the bottom in place of a real hologram.
I was doing AZ mostly at the time, which is gold interference ink. The Photo-Ez stuff definitely worked alright when I did it, but I saw the inkjet mod method later and I'm sure that works infinitely better. I also did some michigan, IL, and other state IDs that used single color interference holos.
I remember, living in Phoenix, that the new Grand Canyon-background ID threw everyone for a loop. There was a way before that to transfer numbers on to real IDs, so that + mag reencode made them perfect.
I drew a flawless AZ template like 2 days after it came out.
How did you do the 3 color UV? I never played around much with the blacklight stuff. It was the only flaw in the IDs I made.
I also did the generic holograms to people I didn't like. I felt like a dick about it, but hey.
For 3 Color UV I just took your standard $100 printers, cleaned out black ink cartridges, refilled with UV ink and printed black only in the UV color I wanted. It trashed the printers but I sold those IDs for so much it didn't matter anyways.
Belated response, but absolutely. That's what they use.
my buddy would drive down to NY on the weekends with his equipment in the trunk, make like 20 id's ball it up in the club all night and still come back with lots of cash
Ever have someone ask for an ID because they wanted to "start over"? I mean, the full deal: ID, social security, whatever. I've read numerous stories about a people leaving everything behind, moving to some po-dunk town in BFE, using fake documents the whole way. Ever encounter this?
I won't answer questions of this nature. That's illegal!
how many people did you have running under you? what was their punishment? how did you get caught? what state were you arrested in?
i saw above now that you said you didn't turn them in. any idea what their punishment WOULD have been? what about a guy right below you as opposed to 2 or 3 guys below you?
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