Identity document forgery is a very serious crime that can have devastating effects on victims. Among other things, it deprives victims of their right to enjoy legal protection and assistance and may even lead to imprisonment for the perpetrators. Thus, it is vitally important for victims to be able to recognize and know how to spot fake identification documents. Moreover, it is also essential for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to have quick and reliable ways to detect and prevent the illegal copying and alterations of documents. In this regard, there are two primary means of verifying an individual's identity: physical verification and behavioral verification. Physical verification involves examining the person for scars, bruises, or signs of abuse and comparing them with records and photos of documented events. Behavioral verification takes place when agents from law enforcement agencies come to interview a person as part of their routine check-ups and are able to deduce certain information about an individual from his answers. For instance, an agent might ask a person if they have had any encounters with the law; a response could indicate whether or not that person has committed any crimes, such as assault or shoplifting. Thus, mere suspicion alone may not suffice to implicate an individual for ID theft. Further investigation is necessary to confirm whether the answers given were consistent with known facts. Of course, identifying
fake ids is only the first step in combating ID theft. Because identity documents are printed on paper and transpose the digital data into the equivalent piece of paper, there is no way to know whether or not the printed version of the id was actually printed in the first place. Likewise, because digital signatures cannot be checked, there is no way to know whether the person requesting the document actually signed it or not. Therefore, victims need to take care in sharing personal and financial information online, as well as in retaining other private documents, such as a driver's license or a passport. If identity theft is suspected, immediate action needs to be taken, especially since most cases do not involve money transactions.