Buying Fake ID on the Internet September 19, 2000
News Summary
By just providing a name, mailing address, photograph and a few dollars, a minor can go online and buy a fake ID, the University of Maryland Diamondback reported Sept. 14.An experiment by students at the school found that buying a fake ID over the Internet can be done rather easily in one of two ways: by going online and actually ordering a fake ID, or by purchasing a template to create a fake ID.
"Two of my friends in high school made fake IDs and sold them from a template they bought off the Internet," said Ashish Goel, a freshman computer engineering major. "It's really easy. You take a digital camera, use Photoshop, put the image on the template and voila. I have even seen them use one that has worked at a few liquor stores."
Under Maryland law, however, anyone caught with a fake ID can receive a maximum $500 fine and/or up to two months in prison. The law also calls for a fine of up to $2,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to two years for distributors of fake IDs.
Campus police have held educational programs for local distributors of alcoholic beverages to teach them how to recognize fake IDs.
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