Fake IDs Have Improved Dramatically
Any entrepreneur or business owner who deals with age-restricted products like alcohol, tobacco or cannabis understands the importance of staying in compliance with ID check regulations. A violation of these laws can not only result in a hefty fine but can invite further scrutiny from regulators and local communities and, potentially, suspension or revocation of business licenses. It’s well understood that the best defense against these problems is a good offense — that is, adopting strict policies for ID checks.
The problem, however, is that fake IDs have advanced to a point that many can now pass the most common methods of ID checks — visual inspection (even by an experienced clerk), barcode scan or magstripe swipe. A general manager of a liquor store located near a college campus recently told me, “We actually haven’t seen many fake IDs in the past few years.†He was almost certainly wrong. A more accurate statement would have been, “We actually haven’t caught many fake IDs in the past few years.â€