EDITORIAL – Prepare for more fake ID operations

The Freeman

September 29, 2024 | 12:00 p.m

Recently, in Naga city, a woman was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas Regional Office after she allegedly printed and sold fake Bureau of Internal Revenue Tax identification cards and PhilHealth ID cards.

The NBI said the suspect, Verlyn Subrian, 29, a resident of Barangay East Poblacion, Naga, was arrested in a trap operation and has already admitted to selling fake IDs for two years and having a regular customer base.

Of course, her business is not the only one of its kind. About three months ago, the Cebu City authorities also noticed the spread of fake people with disabilities ID cards.

It appears that producing and selling fake IDs is a lucrative venture. Fake IDs allow people to not only assume someone else’s identity, but also to receive benefits, discounts and other privileges that would otherwise not be available to them.

It’s also quite simple now; Anyone with a printer, a laminator, and an ID card format or template can make something that can pass as an ID card to those who aren’t looking closely. It’s also now easy to reach potential customers via the Internet. There is no shortage of potential customers either, considering how many people want to keep certain transactions secret.

Authorities should view the proliferation of such criminal enterprises as a warning that there will be more to come in the future.

We are sure that those involved in this nefarious business will at some point try to provide fake ID cards as they are easily forged and do not contain any signature of the card holder. Of course, even more cases of fraud can be expected in this case.

And considering that the midterm elections are approaching and money, favors, and other things are expected to change hands, not to mention “extracurricular” election activities, we can only imagine how many people are reaching out and seeking to provide fake IDs of all kinds .