How Easy Is It For A Migrant To Fake A Passport?
Passports are travel documents used to prove identity and nationality of its holders, making them highly prized possessions that the US government takes very seriously when it comes to fraud allegations.
Due to laws regarding passport fraud in the U.S., possession and use of fake passports are illegal acts and those found guilty can face legal consequences; however there may be defenses available if facing charges for passport fraud.
Passport fraud occurs throughout its life cycle, from production to personalization and storage. To reduce this risk, there are technical solutions that can detect fake documents – most notably digital Know Your Customer (KYC) checks as well as Anti Money Laundering checks.
How difficult is it for migrants to falsify a passport?
FRONTLINE’s investigation of Ahmed Ressam, the Algerian terrorist who attempted to bomb Los Angeles International Airport last December, shows he was extremely skilled in creating and using fraudulent documents – having even received training at one of Osama bin Laden’s terror camps!
Uzbeks with links to ISIS operating out of Turkey have recently begun selling people with extremist connections high-quality fake passports that are hard to detect, including French, Belgian, Russian and Bulgarian versions boasting authentic watermarks and holograms that border officials can read via scanning machines. Customers purchasing such passports must present some proof of identification such as driver’s licenses accompanied by payments between $5,000-$15,000.