The story is about high school geeks who are trying to lose their virginities before graduation. The moment where the most famous fake ID takes the spotlight is during a scene where the main character Fogell, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is attempting to buy alcohol in a convenience store for him and his friends. When he is asked by a store clerk to provide an identity document, Fogell shows his Hawaiian driver’s license featuring the name ‘McLovin’. No questions asked from a store clerk, he proceeds with his purchase. Pretty easy, right?
The poorly made driver's license became an icon for fake ID to the extent that fans can now buy recreations of it on Amazon for as low as $7. The proof that its legacy still lives on is also from the recent news from Iowa. An Iowa City police officer approached a 20-year-old at a bar, requesting his identification, which he declined to provide. Later on, officers noticed a fake Hawaiian ID in his possession, with the name McLovin and a birthdate of Jun. 3, 1981. The young man was charged, besides others, with possession of a fictitious license.
It all seems fun and entertaining until you realize it’s illegal and there are legal consequences. So how can you spot a fake ID and what are the details you should pay attention to?
Can McLovin be verified?
Name - Check the personal information on the ID. Any discrepancies in the name can signal a counterfeit document. But be aware, in some countries, single names are pretty common, so don’t be surprised.
Dates - There might be discrepancies in dates too! Usually, many countries issue their ID documents for a 10-year period. But not Hawaii. Hawaiian licenses tend to run for only 6 years.
License Number - Fake driving licenses usually have incorrect license numbers. If we are talking about Hawaiian driver’s licenses specifically, their numbers start with a capital H, followed by 8 digits.
Style - Did you know that the style of the IDs purposefully changes over time? It’s usually done to ensure the integrity of an identity verification process and safeguard against fraudulent activities. This specific driver’s license is correct.
Barcode - Barcodes are another big thing when it comes to government-issued documents. They tend to change a lot over the years. For example, nowadays, they’re now on the back of the license and not on the front.
After all that was mentioned, would McLovin be able to pass Trustmatic's identity verification? Certainly no.
About Trustmatic
At Trustmatic, we leverage these advanced AI technologies to provide robust and accurate ID verification. Our software performs real-time verification of identity documents, enabling you to prevent identity fraud and detect advanced fraudulent attacks, including fake and tampered documents.
Our platform can verify over 12,500 IDs from 248 countries and territories, ensuring the authenticity of your customers' identities in a matter of seconds. Users simply need to take a photo of their ID. Our software then identifies the document type, determines if an image of the ID's reverse side is needed, and instantly provides feedback to the user while extracting data to detect tampered or fraudulent IDs.
Zuzana Hasko
Zuzana is the CMO at Trustmatic and manages all internal and external communications.
