New York's DMV says fake IDs bought online open doors for identity theft

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is warning New Yorkers that purchasing fake IDs online can enable identity theft.

When someone buys a counterfeit ID on the internet, they are required to input sensitive information to an anonymous source. The DMV said many fake ID sellers are foreign entities, complicating their tracking and persecution.

“Young people should think carefully about sending their most sensitive, personal information online to someone who has already proven they are willing to break the law,” DMV commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said in a press release. “Buying a fake ID online is an invitation to have your identity stolen and to put your future in jeopardy.”

Almost a third of college students admit to having a counterfeit ID that was ordered online, according to ID verification company Veriff.

Personal information that is put online to buy an ID could be sold to organized crime rackets. It could then enable fraud and money laundering schemes, according to the Document Security Alliance.

The DMV’s Operation Prevent enforcement initiative tries to curb the use of fake IDs while also discouraging against underage drinking and driving.

CITATIONS AND FAKE ID'S THIS YEAR

The DMV reports numbers are similar to last year, though under-represent the spread of fake IDs.

To learn more about Operation Prevent, visit the DMV’s website.