China Corners Fake ID Market

Monday, 14 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Like many things these days, the fake ID market has been outsourced to China. The Philadelphia Daily News says a fake name, a photo snapped in front of a blue bath towel and $200 is all it takes to magically become 21. The leader in the Chinese knock-off market, a website called ID Chief, makes only a feeble attempt to explain that its “novelty licenses” are to help their customers get into “movies or what not.”
 


According to the News, the fake IDs come with holograms and other official insignia that bouncers—and, I guess, movie ushers—look for when examining for authenticity. Not all of them, however, pass such rigorous fact-checking. Although the ID knock-off website says Pennsylvania’s license is its most convincing replica, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board notes: “One ID said the person was 57 feet tall.”