Web fraudsters sold fake ID cards

Paul R Taylor

March 04, 2009

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Lucy Sanders and Adrian Holmes

TWO company directors are facing jail after admitting making thousands of pounds selling fake ID cards that helped youngsters buy alcohol.

Adrian Holmes, 32, and Lucy Sanders, 28, both of Lymm, Cheshire, also admitted selling fake driving licences from their online company www.uwantid.co.uk.

They pleaded guilty to one joint charge of conspiracy to supply cards for use in connection with fraud when they appeared at Cheshire Crown Court.

Holograms

The £20 identity cards - some with holograms and embedded computer chips - were sold to teenagers and adults across Britain and around the world, helping them flout alcohol and driving laws.

The firm made between £100,000 and £200,000 from the operation.

Prosecution

Cheshire Trading Standards brought the prosecution, the first in the country against a company specialising in fake identity documents, after an 18-month investigation.

Peter Moss, prosecuting, said: "The business was bought as a going concern by Adrian Holmes.

"For a short time it sold driving licences. This was later changed and a disclaimer was added to the website.

"It was later changed to driving `permits'."

Websites

Hundreds of websites on the internet offer fake ID cards to help underage teenagers buy alcohol and enter pubs and night clubs.

Many, including www.uwantid.co.uk, take advantage of a loophole in the law by publishing disclaimers on their websites, stating that the products are for `novelty' use.

Testimonials

But the Lymm firm also published testimonials from customers.

Holmes and Sanders are due to be sentenced on April 20.

They were charged under the Fraud Act 2000, and pleaded guilty to supplying the cards knowing they allowed customers to dishonestly misrepresent their age, identity or legal capacity.

Judge Stephen Clarke told them a custodial sentence was possible.

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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Princess_Pam, Crumpsall (04/03/2009 at 08:31)

And just think how many websites like this will be available if ID cards become compulsory for all. And many of them will be abroad and out of UK courts jurisdiction.

jacko101 (04/03/2009 at 09:19)

Get them both banged up for stupidity at least.

MsD, Manchester (04/03/2009 at 09:25)

I really don't see the point in jailing these two. They didn't rip anyone off and they didn't hurt anyone either. I don't agree with what they did and I think a hefty fine and stint doing community service like painting park benches and litter picking in an orange vest will hurt the pride of these two more than prison will.

Lawrence Glendinning (04/03/2009 at 09:35)

I turst the courts wil make these two pay back the £200,000.

Bean B4, manchester (04/03/2009 at 10:43)

These two have made a majopr contribution to society haven't they. Pity their skill and energy wasn't directed into something more worthwhile. I hope they go down.

Barney Gumball LLB Hons (04/03/2009 at 11:17)

What's wrong with the youth of today...? We used to make our own false ID.

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (04/03/2009 at 11:31)

I wonder how many accidents and injuries that these fake licences have caused by drivers who think they can drive or how many kids have got drunk with fake IDs ect not to mention the terror side of these fake IDs and driving licences? surely they need a few years prison for this?

jeffb, buxton (04/03/2009 at 11:47)

It would take most people about 15years to earn this, I suppose they will be sentenced to a maximum of 5 years less with good behaviour. Who said crime does not pay, also it doubt if tax and insurance was paid on this income

G0D, Everywhere (04/03/2009 at 12:52)

"not to mention the terror side of these fake IDs and driving licences? "

I didn't realise you had a phobia of fake ID's ace. But seriously, how is a fake ID in anyway related to terror? You've been sucked in by the whole "terrorists are gonna get us all" hype, open your eyes, if someone wants to blow themselves and a building up, they don't need a fake ID to do it.

curiousyellow, Rusholme (04/03/2009 at 13:22)

they'll probably get 6 years each whilst robbers, rapists, and other violent criminals get off with community service or a tag!

Gary SK13 (04/03/2009 at 13:24)

Princess Pam - If ID cards are made compulsory then that surely would spell the end for these fake id con merchants, why would you be able to show a cheap fake id to buy goods or gain entry, when you should have an ID card that cannot be tampered with or falsified.
I do not have a problem with these being made compulsory as i have nothing to hide, and if it makes the country a safer place what is the problem.

Umm Bop, Stockport (04/03/2009 at 13:26)

How did the police track these wiley criminals with the name of the website being so discreet?

dog hardy, manchester (04/03/2009 at 13:26)

just shows how computers control the world with probably 1000,s doing absolutely worthless work,getting stinking rich and swanking around.only way to possibly control this is t/b like America hand hand out really stiff jail sentences for fraud offences,whereas its probably an open jail with cons swapping stories in this country,e,g the other day an Englishman living in AMERICA was fined £138,oo0 just for looking at child porography,logically the judge said if noboddy looked at the filth there,d be no market'

Black Flag (04/03/2009 at 13:36)

Gary: "I do not have a problem with these being made compulsory as i have nothing to hide"

Especially not the megalomania which makes you think that, because you have no problem with it, you have a right to force your decision on everyone else.

WAF (04/03/2009 at 13:48)

I don't see a big problem with these fake ID cards. A friend of mine bought one when we went to Vegas last year. The legal age for drinking there is 21 - so he got a "European Driving Licence" and it meant as a 19 year old he could have a drink. What's the harm there?

These people were providing a service to people. Even underage youngsters in this country, I'd prefer they used the ID to get into a pub rather than swig cider mixed with meths in the local park. They're going to drink anyway, so why not used ID to do it?

The law is a joke sometimes!

Esso Blue & Blue Firework The Arabian Blue Knight, , Never trust the human equivalent of a meerkat. Barred from all Meerkat den's (04/03/2009 at 14:08)

False ID isn't helping sort certain problems out you are just causing problems. Have they ever thought of painting Garden Gnomes as a business.

selfexiled (04/03/2009 at 15:17)

There seems to be a growing number of people think that breaing the law should be judged on its detriment to the individuals who use illegal services,The Laws are usually made on a basis of all aspects of cause and effect and some of the people making comments on this site should realise that.In words maybe that they can understand it means if this were allowed to happen people would do far more serious things thinking of course that they could get away with it.

Batfink, Manchester (04/03/2009 at 15:43)

Gary - you are too late - the technology used in Id cards has already been tampered with and falsified, and they aren't even available yet! Detailed investigation shows that the only problem they will solve is benefit fraud -an estimated annual £35-60million problem, on which we are going to spend billions? Where's the business case? I'll tell you - selling your personal data on to private companies for a huge fee. Count me out.

Black Flag (04/03/2009 at 15:59)

Batfink: "Detailed investigation shows that the only problem they will solve is benefit fraud -an estimated annual £35-60million problem, on which we are going to spend billions?"

I don't even see that being successful. The majority of benefit fraud is achieved by people being dishonest about their circumstances, not their identity.

andanotherthing, Mcr (04/03/2009 at 16:40)

they did this for greed an personal gain. They live in a beautiful little village. I would make them utterly destitute, take everything they own off them. House them in Middleton and let them be taunted by boozy youngsters with fake ID's.

Snare Drum 54, Ashton-u-Lyne (04/03/2009 at 16:55)

Think I would rather have a fake ID than one supplied by this government along with everything about us, only to be lost by some nameless office numb nut.

Gary SK13 (04/03/2009 at 16:57)

Black flag- Am i forcing you to have one?, i am merely saying i have nothing to hide and i dont see the problem with it, perhaps you have something to hide by your reaction.

Rob Lawrence (04/03/2009 at 17:09)

>>>Gary, forget this, you're wasting your time with this argument with Black Flag and Pam. They have already made their minds up that ID Cards cannot do anything based on phobia and not facts drawn from studies in jurisdictions that have an effective ID card system in place. (And yes Pam, I have read and analysed the "Gateway" report!)

The thing they miss about the objective of ID cards is not about proving who you are, but catching fraudsters who claim to be someone they are not. ID Cards, as a proof of identity, are proven to be successful in contributing to catching identity thieves and detecting suspicious transactions, and successful if expediting customer due diligence procedures.

Black Flag (04/03/2009 at 18:38)

Gary: "Am i forcing you to have one?"

Clearly that was your intention when you said "I do not have a problem with these being made compulsory" rather than "I do not have a problem with having one." I don't mind carrying a nectar card, but I wouldn't want to force other people to have one; I suppose that's down to me having manners and respect for other people's choices.

"perhaps you have something to hide by your reaction."

Ah, the usual "guilty until proven innocent" approach. It's getting a bit old hat now, like "nothing to hide, nothing to fear," which has been shown to be complete nonsense by the government's continual loss of data.

Rob Lawrence, if you'd given a decent reason for having ID cards last time you were on here, I would have considered it, but you didn't; your potential to profit from an ID card scheme seemed to have clouded your judgement. If you've got a decent case to put forward this time, I'm all ears.

Gary SK13 (04/03/2009 at 20:24)

Black flag - Is citizen Smith your hero?, you are one of a number of wannabee anarchists on here who constantly berate the government whatever they do. Perhaps we should adopt a communist system like china, then again we would not be having this conversation would we?. If having an ID card means getting rid of fraudsters and reducing the risk of terrorism then fine by me. Yes there will be teething problems initially but in the long run it will prove beneficial in reducing crime and anti social behaviour.

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