Posted on: Friday, August 27, 2004
Counterfeit licenses targeted
By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer
Police are hoping that new equipment and software used to make driver's licenses will make it harder for crooks to produce counterfeit licenses.
But they admit that even with the latest technology, it's difficult to stay a step ahead of the bad guys.
The City and County of Honolulu, which oversees driver licensing activities in the state's four major counties, has given license-machine companies until Sept. 10 to submit proposals to replace the machines now being used.
The contract for the current equipment expires Dec. 31.
The proposal specifications say the new licenses "must have anti-counterfeiting features and must resist tampering (delamination) during the active service life of the car," which in many cases is six years.
"A detailed explanation of the security features must be provided," according to the request for proposals.
Police investigators believe a fake driver's license was at the heart of an alleged scheme by Deborah Nunes, who is accused of stealing $26,000 from a teacher's bank account in June.
Detective Letha DeCaires, coordinator of the Honolulu Police Department's CrimeStoppers unit, said Nunes was arrested Monday night in Wai'anae "on a variety of warrants."
Police Lt. Patricia Tomasu, who heads HPD's financial fraud unit, said it is difficult to say how many "completely counterfeit" driver's licenses have been used in fraud or other criminal cases here as opposed to real driver's licenses that have been stolen and altered, usually by splitting open the lamination and replacing the true owner's photograph.
One ploy fraud artists use is to wedge the fraudulent license into their wallet to make it difficult to remove to conceal the fact that the license has been altered.
The fake licenses run the gamut from very easy to recognize, such as when the date of birth is printed in the wrong color, to virtually impossible to detect, Tomasu said.
"One of the detectives compared his own license to one used in a fraud case and his license looked more beat up than the fraudulent one," she said.
In another case, a counterfeit California license that was used was virtually indistinguishable from the genuine article, she said.
"We checked on every one of the things to look for in a reference guide we have and every one of the safeguards checked out, but the California licensing agency insisted the license was counterfeit," Tomasu said.
Even with improved anti-counterfeit features, such as multilayered holograms, Tomasu said it will be hard for police to stay ahead of criminals.
As soon as the new technology is in place, efforts are already under way to defeat it.
Any number of Web sites on the Internet offer templates of the driver's licenses from various states that can be used to help produce fake driver's licenses, she said.
Phony state ID cards also have been a problem on O'ahu.
In August 2000, a federal grand jury indicted 10 men and two women on O'ahu for allegedly manufacturing and selling fake state identification cards to underage tourists who wanted to buy alcoholic beverages at bars and clubs during their stay in Hawai'i.
The fake ID cards were being sold at various Waikiki locations for $15 to $35.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-7412.
