Here's something I am grateful for today.....

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'm beyond grateful that I am no longer serving alcohol and therefore have no need to card people. Why I mention this is that after my thread regarding counterfeit goods I did a little research and discovered that the US has been flooded in recent years by very realistic phony IDs from China. Apparently these can be ordered online now and apparently holograms can be faked now.....to the point of experts being fooled. At least right now I'm not in the position of gatekeeper to phony IDs such as this. I realize though that these phony IDs come with the baggage of other risks too.....but at least they are not potentially in my hands these days. Rob

[bae]

How common are these Chinese Phony IDs?

How many did you encounter?

What happens to you, the server, if someone gets a realistic phony ID from China past your Homeland-Security-trained eyes?

[Lainey]

Rob,
I was a notary for many years and I often wondered about the IDs too, especially after 9/11. I mainly notarized signatures at my workplace though, so I assumed the employees were already vetted by HR.
I finally let my notary certificate expire when I realized I'd need to carry professional insurance to avoid liability from mistaken notarizations on real estate deals, passports, etc. Not worth the risk.

Also years ago I heard a story from a friend whose grandson worked in a convenience store. He failed to recognize a phony ID from a young woman and let her purchase alcohol. Turned out it was a sting from the infamous Sheriff Arpaio, and her grandson was handcuffed and arrested on the spot and lost his job, plus the convenience store was fined. So I can understand where you're glad to not be the gatekeeper anymore.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Rob,
I was a notary for many years and I often wondered about the IDs too, especially after 9/11. I mainly notarized signatures at my workplace though, so I assumed the employees were already vetted by HR.
I finally let my notary certificate expire when I realized I'd need to carry professional insurance to avoid liability from mistaken notarizations on real estate deals, passports, etc. Not worth the risk.

Also years ago I heard a story from a friend whose grandson worked in a convenience store. He failed to recognize a phony ID from a young woman and let her purchase alcohol. Turned out it was a sting from the infamous Sheriff Arpaio, and her grandson was handcuffed and arrested on the spot and lost his job, plus the convenience store was fined. So I can understand where you're glad to not be the gatekeeper anymore.

Lainey....I never thought of that until reading your post here but yes indeed I can see that these phony id's from China make being a notary problematic. I would not want to be a notary due to this, either. I believe you were smart to give this up........Something that really scares me is that given some of these ids can pass TSA checks (some are truly that good) it's possible that someone could board a plane under a fake identity with malicious intent. Really gives those who fly often some pause to think of this, no?

All I can say is that I am glad to have the vulnerability to this liability out of my life.....and now that I know how realistic these phony id's from China are and how they have flooded the US I don't care to be in a position in which I have to ask for ID ever again. Rob