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Fake passport

A fake passport is a forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered official travel document purporting to be issued by a sovereign state, created or modified with the intent to deceive authorities regarding the holder's identity, nationality, or travel eligibility.^[1] Under U.S. federal law, producing or using such a document constitutes a felony punishable by up to ten years imprisonment and fines, reflecting its role in undermining border controls and public security.^[2] These illicit items enable a range of criminal enterprises, including unauthorized entry into countries, evasion of extradition, human trafficking, and access to restricted facilities like military installations.^[3]^[4]^[5] Production often involves replicating security features such as holograms and biometric chips, though advancements in anti-counterfeiting technology, including proprietary inks and embedded electronics, continually raise barriers for forgers.^[6] Law enforcement agencies worldwide, through shared intelligence and forensic training, detect fakes via inconsistencies in printing quality, material composition, and digital verification against issuance databases.^[7] Despite these measures, the persistence of fake passports highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in global travel documentation systems, particularly where demand from smuggling networks outpaces enforcement resources.^[4]

Definition and Classification

Core Definition

A fake passport is a fraudulent travel document designed to impersonate a legitimate one, typically through counterfeiting (complete fabrication mimicking official features), forgery (insertion of false data or substitution of photos into a genuine blank or issued passport), alteration (modification of details like expiration dates or personal information on an authentic passport), or mutilation (intentional damage to render security elements ineffective). These illicit documents are created or tampered with the intent to deceive border authorities or other officials regarding the bearer's identity, nationality, or travel eligibility.^[1]^[2] In legal terms, the production or use of such passports violates statutes prohibiting the false making, forging, or counterfeiting of any instrument purporting to be a passport, punishable under U.S. law by fines and imprisonment up to 10 years for general offenses, escalating to 15-25 years if linked to drug trafficking or terrorism. Internationally, fake passports contravene standards set by bodies like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which mandates machine-readable, tamper-evident features in genuine documents to prevent replication, though no unified global treaty defines them exclusively; instead, they are addressed through bilateral agreements and national penal codes treating them as identity fraud instruments.^[1]^[8]^[4] Unlike fraudulently obtained genuine passports (e.g., via false applications using stolen identities), fake passports inherently lack official issuance validity from the outset, relying on replication of holograms, watermarks, biometric chips, or inks to pass superficial inspections, though advanced forensics like UV light or chip authentication routinely expose discrepancies in printing quality, font inconsistencies, or embedded data mismatches.^[3]^[9]

Types and Variations

Counterfeit passports represent unauthorized reproductions of genuine documents, fabricated entirely from imitation materials and printing processes to replicate security features like optically variable ink, microprinting, and biometric chips.^[10] These differ from legitimate issuance by lacking official blanks or oversight, often produced in clandestine operations using desktop publishing software, inkjet printers, or specialized forgery labs.^[11] Variations in counterfeits range from low-quality versions with mismatched fonts or absent UV-reactive elements, detectable via standard border checks, to sophisticated ones incorporating laser-engraved data pages or cloned RFID chips, as observed in seizures reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in operations targeting organized networks.^[11] Forged passports, by contrast, start as authentic documents that are subsequently altered, such as through photo substitution, data overwriting with chemicals or erasure methods, or insertion of fraudulent visa stamps.^[10] Common techniques include laser printing overlays on genuine pages or using heat-sealed laminates to replace biographical details, exploiting vulnerabilities in older passport designs lacking embedded e-chips.^[11] Interpol notes that forgeries often target stolen or lost blanks reported to databases like SLTD, with variations including partial alterations (e.g., name changes only) versus comprehensive overhauls, the latter requiring skilled "cobblers" to maintain laminate integrity and avoid visible tampering seams.^[10] Pseudo-passports mimic official formats but originate from non-state or unrecognized issuers, such as micronation entities producing "world passports" or fantasy documents with fabricated sovereignty claims, which hold no international validity under the 1920 League of Nations passport standards or modern ICAO Doc 9303 guidelines.^[10] These variations frequently incorporate pseudo-security elements like generic holograms, serving niche evasion purposes but failing automated reader verification due to non-standard MRZ codes.^[12] A related category involves genuine passports used by impostors, where the document remains unaltered but is presented by an unauthorized individual resembling the holder through disguise or coincidence, as distinguished from physical fakes by the absence of production flaws.^[10] U.S. Department of State reports highlight this in cases of identity theft using deceased persons' credentials, though such uses blur into fraudulent acquisition rather than document fabrication.^[3] Overall, these types reflect adaptations to countermeasures, with digital forgeries rising post-2010 due to biometric passport adoption, per law enforcement trends.^[11]

Production Techniques

Counterfeiting Processes

Counterfeit passports are produced through clandestine manufacturing operations that replicate the physical composition, printing, and select security elements of legitimate documents, often requiring substantial capital for equipment and raw materials. These operations typically begin with digital scanning or insider-obtained templates of genuine passports to recreate layouts, fonts, and intricate patterns such as guilloche designs and microprinting using graphic software. High-quality counterfeits employ offset lithography presses for multi-color backgrounds and intaglio printing machines to simulate raised tactile effects, approximating the specialized inks—including optically variable and ultraviolet-reactive varieties—used in official production.^[13]^[14] The substrate, such as cotton-fiber paper or polycarbonate for data pages, is sourced or fabricated to mimic official materials, with embedded synthetic security threads or watermarks added during lamination. Assembly involves layering printed elements, applying laminates under heat and pressure, and incorporating pseudo-holographic foils via hot-stamping or embossing techniques; however, these replicas frequently exhibit inferior diffraction and color-shifting compared to genuine diffractive optically variable image devices (DOVIDs), which demand proprietary nanotechnology inaccessible to most illicit producers.^[15]^[6] For biometric e-passports, counterfeiters face acute technical barriers in replicating the radiofrequency identification (RFID) chip, which stores encrypted biometric data under public key infrastructure (PKI) with digital signatures verified against issuing authority certificates. Many fakes omit functional chips entirely or embed rudimentary, non-cryptographically compliant ones lacking valid Basic Access Control (BAC) or Extended Access Control (EAC) protocols, rendering them vulnerable to scanner interrogation.^[16]^[17] Advanced networks, such as those operated by organized groups, have invested millions in reverse-engineering attempts, yet successful chip forgery remains rare due to the need for stolen cryptographic keys.^[18] Personalization concludes the process, with laser engravers or inkjet systems adding fabricated personal details, photographs, and machine-readable zones (MRZ) to blank booklets, followed by stitching or binding to form complete volumes. While low-end operations produce detectable crudities like mismatched fonts or bleeding inks, sophisticated syndicates achieve short-term viability by scaling production in dedicated labs, though inherent material and cryptographic discrepancies limit longevity against forensic scrutiny.^[19]^[20]

Forgery and Alteration Methods

Forgery and alteration of passports involve modifying authentic documents to deceive border authorities, distinct from full counterfeiting which replicates an entire document from scratch. These techniques exploit vulnerabilities in older or less secure passport designs, such as erasable inks or removable laminates, to insert false personal details while retaining genuine security elements like watermarks or holograms. Alterations are often performed using specialized tools including solvents, fine blades, digital printers, and UV lamps to match original printing effects.^[7]^[21] One prevalent method is photo substitution, where the original photograph is removed—typically by chemical delamination or mechanical lifting of the laminate—and replaced with a new image of a different individual. This technique was particularly effective on pre-2006 passports lacking polycarbonate data pages, as the photo could be swapped without immediately visible damage under standard inspection. Forensic analysis often reveals discrepancies in glue residues, laminate microprinting, or edge alignments post-substitution. U.S. Government Accountability Office reports highlight photo substitution as a recurring alteration threat, especially in passports issued before enhanced laser engraving adoption.^[7]^[22] Data alteration targets printed biographical information, such as names, dates of birth, or passport numbers, through mechanical scraping, chemical erasure with solvents like acetone, or overlay printing. Erasure methods remove original ink without fully penetrating security substrates, followed by re-inking with compatible pigments to mimic factory printing. These changes may evade visual checks but fail under magnification revealing ink bleeding or substrate fiber disruption. Physically altered passports, including those with erased and rewritten data, are noted by U.S. intelligence agencies as common in terrorist evasion tactics.^[21] Page substitution entails excising and replacing the biodata page with one from another genuine passport, often from the same issuing country to match stitching, numbering sequences, or UV-reactive threads. Criminals align pages using precision cutting tools and adhesives, preserving the outer cover's integrity. This method circumvents chip-based verification if the substituted page's data mismatches the unaltered electronic chip, though advanced forgeries attempt chip reprogramming. Detection relies on radiographic imaging to expose mismatched page thicknesses or stitching irregularities.^[23] For biometric e-passports, chip tampering seeks to modify embedded RFID data via cloning or overwriting, but public-key infrastructure (PKI) encryption and digital signatures render successful alterations rare without state-level resources. Forgers may pair unaltered chips with modified visual pages, leading to mismatches during e-gate scans. Alterations also include forging visa stamps or endorsements using intaglio presses and security inks to simulate genuine overprints. These methods persist despite ICAO standards, as evidenced by ongoing interdictions of altered documents in smuggling networks.^[24]^[4]

Acquisition and Distribution

Illicit Markets and Networks

Illicit markets for fake passports thrive in underground economies, encompassing dark web platforms, encrypted communications, and physical handoffs via smuggling routes, enabling buyers to acquire documents for evading border controls. On darknet marketplaces, physical counterfeit passports typically sell for approximately $1,500, while scans of genuine passports can fetch as little as $10 in bulk, often bundled with supporting identity data to facilitate fraud.^[25]^[26] These online venues provide anonymity through cryptocurrencies and Tor networks, with vendors offering customization services like biometric alterations, though quality varies widely, leading to frequent detection risks.^[27] Distribution networks frequently integrate with broader criminal ecosystems, where fake passports serve as entry points for human trafficking operations, allowing facilitators to transport victims across international borders under false identities. Europol documentation indicates that organized crime groups systematically forge or alter passports to support sexual exploitation rings, with documents sourced from specialized forgers in regions like Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.^[28] Physical markets operate through intermediaries in high-transit hubs such as airports, border towns, and diaspora communities, where passports are exchanged for cash or bartered alongside drugs and weapons, amplifying cross-commodity illicit flows.^[29] Law enforcement disruptions reveal the scale of these networks: INTERPOL-coordinated actions have seized batches of forged passports tied to cyberfraud and trafficking syndicates, including operations uncovering scam centers with hundreds of doctored documents. For example, in 2025 efforts across Africa, authorities confiscated forged passports linked to human smuggling, underscoring how these markets embed within regional crime webs for resilient distribution.^[30] The FBI notes that transnational groups exploit passport fraud alongside identity theft and money laundering, with networks adapting to seizures by shifting to decentralized apps and mule couriers.^[31] Despite crackdowns, the profitability—driven by demand from fugitives and smugglers—sustains market growth, as evidenced by rising fraud volumes reported in global threat assessments.^[29]

State-Sponsored and Organized Crime Involvement

State intelligence agencies have historically employed forged passports to facilitate covert operations, enabling operatives to travel undetected under assumed identities. In January 2010, a Mossad hit squad allegedly used at least 27 forged passports from countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, and Ireland to assassinate Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, prompting Britain to expel an Israeli diplomat for passport misuse.^[32] A former Mossad officer claimed in 2010 that the agency maintained a dedicated "passport factory" to produce or alter foreign passports for such intelligence activities, including forging Australian documents.^[33] Israeli operations have involved false passports dating back decades, often sourced from diaspora communities or compromised records to support espionage and targeted killings without direct traceability to the state.^[34] Organized crime networks exploit fake passports primarily to enable human smuggling, trafficking, and other illicit cross-border activities, often integrating document forgery into broader criminal ecosystems. Europol reports that such groups routinely forge or alter passports, visas, and identity papers to facilitate sexual exploitation and migrant smuggling, with networks producing high-quality counterfeits using stolen biometric data or blank booklets obtained via corruption.^[28] In Europe, Balkan-based syndicates like the Montenegrin Kavač and Škaljari clans have been implicated in supplying fake passports to support people smuggling operations, leading the UK to impose sanctions in July 2025 on individuals and entities providing these documents alongside forged residency permits.^[35]^[36] The trade in counterfeit passports has surged, benefiting groups involved in arms and human trafficking, as evidenced by cases where criminals sell forged travel documents to terrorists or fugitives for sums exceeding €10,000 per item, according to investigations into post-2010 networks.^[29] These state and criminal involvements intersect in hybrid threats, where government-linked actors indirectly bolster illicit markets; for instance, state-issued blanks diverted through corruption feed organized crime forgeries, while intelligence operations occasionally procure from underworld sources to maintain deniability.^[4] Such practices underscore vulnerabilities in global passport systems, where high-volume production by specialized cells—often in Asia or Eastern Europe—evades detection through layered supply chains.^[29]

Motivations and Criminal Applications

Facilitation of Illegal Immigration and Smuggling

Fake passports enable unauthorized border crossings by permitting individuals to misrepresent their nationality and identity, thereby evading immigration checks at airports, seaports, and land borders. Migrant smugglers frequently procure or produce these documents, charging clients fees ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per passport, depending on quality and destination. This facilitates the transport of irregular migrants via commercial air travel or ferries, routes less scrutinized than overland treks.^[37]^[38] In Europe, forged passports have been central to smuggling operations targeting the European Union, where networks supply documents allowing migrants to enter visa-free Schengen states or alter statuses post-arrival. A March 2024 Europol-supported raid in Greece seized nearly 5,000 false identity documents, including passports, produced for illegal EU entry by migrants from Asia and Africa; these enabled smugglers to embed clients in legitimate travel flows before directing them to final destinations. Similarly, a June 2022 operation dismantled a Greek printing ring that yielded 362 forged passports alongside equipment, linked to smuggling thousands of irregular migrants across the Mediterranean. In Poland, authorities arrested 17 individuals in November 2019 for a network active since 2012, which provided fake passports and employment papers to smuggle Middle Eastern and Asian nationals into the EU via false job claims.^[39]^[40]^[41] In the United States, counterfeit passports support human smuggling by allowing entrants to fly directly or claim fraudulent credentials at ports of entry, often from high-risk regions. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized seven counterfeit African passports in July 2020 at Philadelphia, originating from Angola, Benin, Gambia, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe, indicative of networks smuggling individuals via air cargo or passenger manifests. The U.S. Department of State identifies such fraud as a key enabler of undocumented immigration, with smugglers using stolen or fabricated passports to insert aliens into the country before dispersal by ground transport.^[42]^[43] Globally, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime links document fraud to the majority of detected migrant smuggling cases, with fake passports reducing risks compared to clandestine sea or land routes; in 2018, surveys of smuggling routes showed clients paying intermediaries for genuine-appearing forgeries to access safer, faster travel. Interpol operations, such as a 2023 Brazilian arrest of a document-fraud specialist tied to transnational smuggling, underscore how these tools integrate with broader criminal ecosystems, including money laundering from fees. Seizures often reveal ties to organized crime, where passports are customized with biometric spoofs or stolen data to withstand initial scans.^[4]^[37]^[44]

Use in Terrorism, Espionage, and Fugitive Evasion

Fake passports enable terrorists to circumvent border controls and embed within target countries prior to attacks. According to the 9/11 Commission staff statement on terrorist travel tactics from 1993 to 2001, operatives frequently relied on forged passports and fake visas to travel undetected, a method recognized as a vulnerability for over three decades.^[45] Al-Qaeda networks exploited this by using counterfeit documents for international mobility, as documented in investigations of their operational patterns.^[46] Forged passports have been integral to terrorist financing and logistics, with groups maintaining in-house forgery capabilities to produce them at scale.^[47] In espionage, state actors deploy altered or counterfeit passports to facilitate covert operations and agent insertion. Israeli intelligence, Mossad, reportedly operated a "passport factory" to forge documents, including fake Australian passports used by operatives in the January 2010 assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, where at least six agents entered using fraudulently obtained identities.^[33] Russian intelligence services have similarly sourced fake passports from third countries; in 2022, Polish authorities linked arrests to Russian spies obtaining Uruguayan-issued counterfeits via the president's bodyguards, highlighting networks for espionage travel.^[48] Such practices allow spies to assume false nationalities, evading surveillance tied to their true origins. Fugitives leverage fake passports to escape apprehension and relocate internationally. In the United Kingdom, a 2023 operation dismantled a network supplying counterfeit passports to high-profile criminals, including Jamie Acourt—a suspect in the 1993 Stephen Lawrence murder—who used one to flee to Spain in 2014 before his 2022 extradition.^[49] Scottish organized crime figures employed fraudulent documents from a gang of forgers to aid evasion, enabling wanted individuals to cross borders as recently as 2023.^[50] In Australia, a Victorian man fled a cocaine importation trial in 2024 using a fake passport, though he was later apprehended, illustrating the temporary utility of such documents in delaying capture.^[51]

Detection and Countermeasures

Built-in Security Features

Modern passports incorporate multiple layers of security features designed to prevent counterfeiting, forgery, and tampering, as outlined in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Doc 9303 standards for machine-readable travel documents. These features are categorized into overt (visible to the naked eye), covert (requiring tools like UV light), forensic (for expert analysis), and machine-readable elements, providing redundancy to ensure authenticity verification at borders.^[24]^[52] Overt features include holograms and optically variable devices (OVDs), such as diffractive optically variable image devices (DOVIDs), which display shifting colors or images depending on viewing angle, making replication difficult without specialized equipment.^[53]^[54] Watermarks embedded in the paper substrate during manufacturing create translucent images or patterns visible when held to light, while guilloche patterns—fine-line geometric designs—are printed with high-precision intaglio techniques that produce a tactile, raised effect resistant to scanning or photocopying.^[13]^[55] Covert features rely on invisible elements detectable only under specific conditions, such as ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent inks that reveal intricate patterns, threads, or fibers not apparent under normal light, often incorporating multicolored designs or microfibers for added complexity.^[13]^[53] Microprinting involves text or lines printed at resolutions below 0.2 mm, appearing as solid lines to the unaided eye but readable under magnification, which distorts or blurs in amateur reproductions.^[19] Optically variable inks (OVI), also known as color-shifting inks, alter hue based on light incidence, serving as a dynamic anti-copy measure commonly integrated into data pages or covers.^[54]^[56] Electronic and biometric enhancements in e-passports, mandatory under ICAO standards since 2006, feature embedded radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips storing digitized facial images, fingerprints, or iris scans, protected by public key infrastructure (PKI) with digital signatures and basic access control (BAC) or extended access control (EAC) protocols to prevent unauthorized chip reading or cloning.^[57]^[55] Data pages often use durable polycarbonate laminates with laser engraving, which etches information into the material for tamper-evident effects, as implemented in next-generation U.S. passports issued from 2021 onward.^[58] The machine-readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom of the data page employs check digits and standardized formatting verifiable by optical scanners, further integrating with chip data for cross-validation.^[59] These features collectively raise the technical barriers to forgery, requiring industrial-scale equipment and expertise; for instance, ICAO-compliant documents must withstand attempts at alteration, such as page swapping or data overwriting, through laminate bonding and substrate integrity checks.^[24] Ongoing advancements, including 2025 ICAO updates, emphasize enhanced biometrics and polycarbonate e-covers to counter evolving threats like digital manipulation.^[60]^[61]

Technological and Procedural Verification

Technological verification of passports begins with examination of built-in security features, including optically variable inks, holograms, watermarks, and microprinting, which are inspected under white, UV, and infrared light to detect counterfeits lacking proper luminescence or tactile qualities.^[62] Machine-readable zones (MRZ) are scanned to validate check digits and ensure data consistency, as discrepancies indicate forgery.^[63] For electronic passports (ePassports), introduced widely since the mid-2000s per ICAO standards, embedded RFID chips store digitized biographical and biometric data, verified through protocols like Basic Access Control (BAC) to prevent unauthorized skimming and Passive Authentication to confirm data integrity against printed visuals.^[64] ^[65] Advanced chip verification employs cryptographic methods such as Chip Authentication and Active Authentication to ascertain the chip's genuineness and resistance to cloning, with biometric matching—comparing live facial scans or fingerprints against chip-stored templates—conducted via automated e-gates or handheld readers at borders.^[66] In the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) implemented e-Passport data verification software in 2023, enabling cryptographic checks that identified at least a dozen fraud attempts in initial deployment.^[67] Procedural verification complements technology through officer-led inspections, where border agents visually assess photo likeness, document condition, and traveler behavior, followed by database queries against systems like INTERPOL's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database, which as of recent reports holds over 78 million records from 184 countries.^[68] Scans of MRZ or chip data against SLTD flag matches for stolen, lost, or revoked documents, triggering secondary scrutiny.^[69] At entry points, procedures include cross-referencing passport data with visa records, prior travel history, and watchlists via national systems, such as CBP's biometric facial recognition deployed at over 100 U.S. airports by 2025, achieving high accuracy in identity confirmation.^[70] Suspicious cases escalate to forensic analysis, involving magnification for print anomalies or software to detect digital alterations like photoshopped photos.^[71] In the European Union, the upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES), set for phased rollout post-2024, mandates biometric enrollment (facial images and fingerprints) for non-EU travelers, enhancing procedural tracking against overstays or fraud.^[72] These layered approaches—technological for intrinsic authenticity and procedural for contextual validation—form a multi-tiered defense, though gaps persist due to evolving forgery techniques and inconsistent global implementation.^[62]

Legal Ramifications

International Standards and Treaties

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, establishes the principal global standards for passports and other travel documents through its Document 9303, titled Machine Readable Travel Documents. First issued in 1980 and periodically revised, with the eighth edition published in 2021, Doc 9303 specifies technical requirements for machine-readable zones (MRZ), data page formats, security inks, holograms, optically variable devices, and biometric chips to enable automated verification and impede forgery.^[73] These standards, adopted by ICAO's 193 member states, mandate compliance for documents used in international civil aviation, as non-conforming passports risk rejection at borders due to interoperability failures in e-gates and inspection systems.^[59] Implementation varies by country, but empirical data from border agencies indicate that adherence reduces successful forgeries by standardizing authentication protocols, though lapses in enforcement persist in regions with weaker institutional capacity.^[74] Doc 9303's specifications extend to electronic passports (eMRTDs), requiring public key infrastructure (PKI) for digital signatures and basic access control to prevent unauthorized chip reading, thereby addressing cloning risks identified in forensic analyses of seized fakes.^[75] For instance, Part 10 of the document details deployment of biometric identifiers like facial images and fingerprints, stored in line with ISO/IEC 19794 standards, to enable one-to-one verification against impostors.^[73] While not legally binding as a treaty, these guidelines function as de facto international norms, with non-compliance potentially violating bilateral air service agreements or triggering ICAO audits; as of 2022, over 120 countries had issued ePassports meeting these criteria.^[76] No dedicated multilateral treaty exclusively prohibits passport forgery, but related offenses fall under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC, adopted 2000 and entered into force 2003), ratified by 191 states, which obliges parties to criminalize participation in organized groups producing or trafficking forged documents for illicit ends like smuggling.^[77] The convention's Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (2000) explicitly targets document fraud as a facilitator, requiring enhanced border controls and information sharing via mechanisms like Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database, which logged over 100 million entries by 2023.^[4] Similarly, the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC, 2003) addresses forgery in identity documents as a corruption enabler, though enforcement relies on domestic laws harmonized with these frameworks.^[77] Regional instruments, such as the European Convention on the Control of Forgery of Travel Documents (Council of Europe, 2006), supplement these by mandating mutual legal assistance, but global coordination remains fragmented, with effectiveness limited by varying state capacities and geopolitical incentives for lax oversight in some jurisdictions.

Domestic Penalties and Enforcement Examples

In the United States, forging or falsely using a passport under 18 U.S.C. § 1543 carries penalties of fines and imprisonment up to 10 years, escalating to 25 years if the offense facilitates international terrorism.^[1] False statements in passport applications under 18 U.S.C. § 1542 similarly result in up to 10 years imprisonment.^[78] Enforcement examples include a Charlotte, North Carolina, man sentenced to five years in federal prison in May 2024 for creating and using over 30 forged U.S. passport cards.^[79] Another case involved a career identity thief receiving over four years imprisonment in November 2024 for passport fraud tied to broader identity crimes.^[80] In the United Kingdom, the Identity Documents Act 2010 imposes up to 10 years imprisonment for possessing false identity documents, including passports, with improper intent.^[81] A Manchester man was sentenced in December 2022 after using a fake passport to apply for a Security Industry Authority license, highlighting enforcement against employment-related fraud.^[82] Australia's Passports Act 2005 prescribes up to 10 years imprisonment or 1,000 penalty units (approximately AUD 313,000 as of 2025) for knowingly possessing or using false Australian travel documents.^[83] Under the Criminal Code Act 1995, making or possessing false travel documents carries similar maximum penalties.^[84] In Canada, the Criminal Code section 57 stipulates up to 14 years imprisonment for forging, possessing, or using a forged passport.^[85] Enforcement in January 2020 resulted in sentences of 18 to 24 months jail time for individuals using fraudulent passports at borders.^[86] These domestic frameworks reflect stringent measures to deter passport fraud, with penalties scaled by intent and aggravating factors like terrorism links, supported by targeted law enforcement operations yielding multi-year incarcerations.^[79]^[80]

Historical and Notable Incidents

Early and Mid-20th Century Cases

During World War I, German agents frequently employed forged passports to facilitate sabotage and espionage in neutral countries like the United States. In 1914, the U.S. Bureau of Investigation dismantled a passport fraud ring led by Hans Adam Wedel and Carl Ruroede, who altered genuine documents and submitted false applications to enable German operatives to travel undetected.^[87] By 1915, German spies had adopted photographic techniques to replicate U.S. passports, as evidenced by a case where authorities traced a forged document seized in London back to an original held by the State Department.^[88] That October, spy Robert Fay was arrested in New York for plotting to destroy Allied munitions ships; among his possessions were a counterfeit passport, fake beard, and mustache to support his alias.^[89] In the interwar period, ideological groups intensified passport counterfeiting for political ends. In 1926, four employees of a Communist bureau in Leipzig, Germany, were convicted and sentenced to two to four years in prison for producing fake passports and other documents to aid underground activities across Europe.^[90] Criminal networks also exploited these methods; a 1938 U.S. federal investigation into the Rubens-Robinson case revealed a scheme where living individuals' names were appropriated for fraudulent passports, implicating at least five perpetrators in identity theft to evade law enforcement.^[91] World War II saw systematic forgery operations by both Axis and Allied powers, often to support intelligence and evasion efforts. British Special Operations Executive forgers, operating from a secluded Essex estate, crafted thousands of counterfeit identity papers, including passports, for agents parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe.^[92] Resistance networks, such as those led by French forger Adolfo Kaminsky, produced falsified documents—including Latin American passports—to enable Jews and spies to escape persecution, reportedly saving thousands of lives through high-quality replicas that bypassed Gestapo scrutiny.^[93] Conversely, Nazi operations like Operation Bernhard focused primarily on currency counterfeiting but extended to forging travel documents for select operatives. Postwar Nazi fugitives relied heavily on fake passports facilitated by escape networks known as ratlines. Adolf Eichmann, a key architect of the Holocaust, fled Europe in 1950 using a forged Red Cross passport under the alias Ricardo Klement, entering Argentina where he lived undetected until his 1960 capture by Israeli agents.^[94] Organizations like ODESSA and clerical intermediaries provided altered documents to hundreds of war criminals, enabling relocation to South America; for instance, Josef Mengele evaded justice into the 1960s via multiple false identities sourced from sympathetic Vatican and Peronist channels in Argentina. These cases underscored the role of institutional complicity in postwar passport fraud, with Argentine authorities issuing or endorsing thousands of suspect documents to ex-Nazis between 1946 and 1955.^[95]

Post-2000 High-Profile Events

In the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, at least four of the hijackers used fraudulent Saudi passports that had been altered to remove or obscure prior entry visas, with some documents artificially aged and stamped with forged entry and exit marks to evade scrutiny.^[96] ^[97] These manipulations allowed operatives to conduct pre-attack travel and reconnaissance while minimizing detection risks at borders.^[98] The 9/11 Commission later documented how such forgeries exemplified a broader pattern of terrorists exploiting document vulnerabilities for international mobility.^[97] The January 19, 2010, assassination of Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel involved 27 suspects who traveled using forged passports issued under false identities from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, France, and Germany.^[99] Dubai police released CCTV footage and travel records linking the passports to the coordinated operation, which authorities attributed to Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, though Israel neither confirmed nor denied involvement.^[99] The incident triggered diplomatic fallout, including the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from Britain over the misuse of six British passports, a similar action by Ireland regarding four Irish ones, and Australia's ejection of an Israeli official for five Australian passports.^[100] ^[101] ^[102] The November 13, 2015, coordinated attacks in Paris, which killed 130 civilians and injured over 400, saw perpetrators exploit fake and stolen identity documents, including a doctored Syrian passport recovered near the body of suicide bomber Ahmad al Mohammad (a false identity used by Samy Amimour).^[103] ^[104] This passport, bearing Greek stamps from a refugee route, facilitated entry amid Europe's migrant crisis, highlighting vulnerabilities in overwhelmed border checks.^[104] A Belgian-based forgery network, which produced around 2,000 fake IDs including those used by Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam and Brussels attackers, was dismantled in 2017, with 13 members convicted of supplying documents to ISIS-linked operatives.^[105] French officials later revealed ISIS had industrialized fake passport production, seizing blank Syrian passports and printing equipment from the group to enable such infiltrations.^[18]

Recent Developments (2020–2025)

In response to heightened irregular migration, fake passports have been increasingly utilized by smuggling networks. A 2023 Interpol-led operation resulted in the arrest of a key migrant smuggler who facilitated the use of counterfeit Canadian passports by Iranian nationals attempting border crossings, with each forged document priced between $30,000 and $60,000.^[44] U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported seizing over 400 counterfeit identification documents, including passports, at the Louisville port in the six months leading up to March 2020, amid rising attempts to exploit travel restrictions.^[106] Financial fraud involving fake passports escalated, particularly with counterfeit U.S. passport cards used for impersonation and account takeovers. FinCEN issued an April 2024 advisory detailing schemes where actors presented forged passport cards at banks to access victim accounts, often linked to broader identity theft operations.^[5] A September 2025 DHS Office of Inspector General review of CBP processes found that 47% of 60 sampled immigration files lacked documentation on fraudulent travel documents, highlighting persistent gaps in detection amid high-volume encounters.^[107] Enforcement actions intensified against producers and users. In May 2024, a Charlotte man received a five-year sentence for manufacturing and using fake U.S. passport cards.^[79] A Jamaican citizen was sentenced to nine months in October 2024 for false passport use.^[108] In November 2024, a career identity thief faced over four years for passport fraud after apprehension at a U.S.-Canada border crossing.^[80] Forgery trends shifted toward digital methods, with the 2025 Entrust Identity Fraud Report documenting a 244% rise in digital forgeries exceeding physical counterfeits for the first time.^[109] Synthetic identity document fraud, including AI-generated fake passports, surged 311% in North America by mid-2025, exploiting verification weaknesses in migration and financial systems.^[110]

References

[1]
18 U.S. Code § 1543 - Forgery or false use of passport
Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters any passport or instrument purporting to be a passport, with intent that the same may be used.
[2]
1945. 18 U.S.C. 1543 -- Making Or Using A Forged Passport
Section 1543 of Title 18 proscribes the forgery, alteration, etc., of passports or the use of or furnishing to another of a forged, altered, void, etc., ...
[3]
Passport and Visa Fraud - United States Department of State
Common types of passport fraud: · Using the identity of a deceased person to apply for a passport; · Using phony support documents, such as fake birth ...
[4]
How document fraud is used to traffic and smuggle people
... forged, fake and fraudulently obtained documents facilitate crime? Passports. Criminals employ a variety of techniques of passport fraud to facilitate ...
[5]
[PDF] FinCEN Notice on the Use of Counterfeit U.S. Passport Cards to ...
Apr 15, 2024 · It is also a federal crime to willfully and knowingly use, or attempt to use, or furnish to another for use any such false, forged, ...
[6]
Advanced Anti-Counterfeit Security Elements
Apr 10, 2025 · Sensitive documents such as banknotes, passports, visas, and birth records often contain proprietary security features to deter counterfeiters.Missing: characteristics | Show results with:characteristics
[7]
GAO-07-1006, Border Security: Security of New Passports and Visas ...
... fraudulent or counterfeit passport or visa. See appendix V for an overview ... fraud trends that impact passport and visa security features. FPP also ...
[8]
Crime of Forging a U.S. Passport - LegalMatch
Dec 15, 2023 · Some of the possible penalties for a fake passport are: A fine of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to 10 years for falsely making ...
[9]
How to Spot a Fake US Passport - Snappt
Sep 15, 2025 · If you encounter a passport with incorrect, inconsistent, or fading colors, it's probably fraudulent. Misaligned or missing seals and holograms.Missing: definition | Show results with:definition
[10]
Identity and travel document fraud - Interpol
The different types of document fraud · Counterfeits – an unauthorized reproduction of a genuine document · Forgeries – alteration of a genuine document · Pseudo ...
[11]
Passport Fraud Trends and Ways to Combat Them
May 5, 2021 · The report provides a large overview of the most common counterfeit or forgery attempts on passport booklets, ranging from machine readable ...
[12]
Document Fraud - Fraud schemes explained - IDnow
Document fraud can come under different forms depending on the authenticity of the document. Indeed, Interpol accounts for the following types of document fraud ...
[13]
Passport security features : advanced technology
Feb 22, 2024 · One way to prevent passport forgery is to use an endpaper print design with various anti-copy features. This includes different passport ...
[14]
PASSPORTS: the science behind the latest security features
Jan 9, 2021 · Charles Hellawell takes a look at the measures being used to defeat the counterfeiters and make our passports more secure.
[15]
Enhance Passport Security with Advanced Anti-Counterfeiting ...
Advanced printing techniques—such as intaglio, guilloche patterns, and optically variable inks—reduce the risk of forged passports. DOVIDs (Diffractive ...
[16]
A Threat Analysis of RFID Passports - Communications of the ACM
Dec 1, 2009 · With the data stolen from your passport's RFID chip, someone could create a copy of the passport, then use this counterfeit one to access a real ...
[17]
Can We Still Trust Passports? - NXP Semiconductors
May 30, 2016 · A simple Google search yields dozens, if not hundreds, of websites that offer to generate “high-quality” fake passports online, and ...
[18]
ISIS Has Whole Fake Passport 'Industry,' Official Says - ABC News
Jan 25, 2016 · The terror group ISIS has created a whole “industry” out of the production of fake passports, a high-level French official said today.Missing: equipment | Show results with:equipment<|separator|>
[19]
How to Identify a Fake US Passport: A Guide to Preventing Fraud
Aug 13, 2025 · Spot fake US passports quickly. Scrutinize security features, check holographic seals, examine chips, and verify OVI. Prevent fraud today!
[20]
Identity and travel document fraud - Interpol
We provide a number of specialized tools for the law enforcement community to help detect fraudulent documents - technical databases, online reference tools.
[21]
Methods & Tactics | National Counterterrorism Center - DNI.gov
Physically altered passports · Passports with serial numbers that are watchlisted as lost or stolen · Handwritten documents that are easily forged or altered
[22]
Detecting Alterations in Documents - Meredith DeKalb Miller
Alterations to a genuine document like a passport may include photo substitutions, page substitutions, mechanical and chemical erasures. Photo substitution is ...Missing: methods | Show results with:methods
[23]
VSC Technology to Unveil the Deception of Page Substitution in ...
Jun 25, 2024 · Page substitution involves replacing one or more genuine pages within a legitimate passport with pages from a different, authentic passport.
[24]
[PDF] Doc 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents - ICAO
States maintaining national databases on lost, stolen and revoked travel documents should consider using automated ways to transmit this information to INTERPOL ...
[25]
Passports on the dark web: how much is yours worth? - Comparitech
Oct 19, 2018 · The average price of a counterfeit, physical passport is $1,478. Passport scans, be they forged or real, are often accompanied by other forms of ...
[26]
There's a thriving black market for selfies with passports - Quartz
An authentic passport on the dark web is priced at $13,500 on the average, while a forged physical booklet sells for around $1,500. “I was most surprised to ...
[27]
Cybermarket for forged identity documents - Keesing Platform
The online market of forged identity documents is quickly evolving. ... A fake passport has a low quality: the buyer receives a copy or a scan of a ...Missing: distribution | Show results with:distribution<|separator|>
[28]
Forgery and trafficking of administrative documents - Europol
Organised crime groups make frequent use of forged or altered documents to traffic people for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The pattern is familiar: ...
[29]
How Organized Crime Thrives on Passport Fraud - OCCRP
Mar 7, 2025 · This case highlights an exploding passport fraud trade that is a boon to international criminal groups involved in human and arms trafficking, ...
[30]
INTERPOL dismantles cybercrime and fraud networks across Africa ...
Aug 23, 2025 · Across the continent, investigators confiscated forged passports, shut down scam centers, and disrupted transnational criminal networks that had ...Missing: fake | Show results with:fake
[31]
Transnational Organized Crime - FBI
These groups also engage in passport fraud, access device fraud, identify theft, healthcare fraud, real estate fraud, insurance fraud, money laundering, drug ...Most Wanted · Major Cases · News · Cargo Theft
[32]
Britain expels Mossad agent over forged passport plot - The Guardian
Mar 23, 2010 · Britain expelled a senior Mossad official at the Israeli embassy today after directly accusing Israel of forging British passports used by a hit squad in Dubai.
[33]
Mossad 'factory' churned out fake Australian passports - ABC News
Feb 25, 2010 · A former Mossad officer has alleged the Israeli spy agency has its own "passport factory" to create or doctor passports for use in intelligence operations.
[34]
Shadowy and deadly - the long arm of the Mossad | Israel
Feb 16, 2010 · Ian Black examines Israeli secret service's long history of clandestine operations and use of false passports.
[35]
UK Sanctions Balkan Gangs After Passport Fraud Reveal - OCCRP
Jul 24, 2025 · Among them are individuals accused of supplying fake passports and forged documents to Balkan gangs, including Montenegro's Kavač and Škaljari ...
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[37]
[PDF] Global Study on Smuggling of Migrants 2018
a Pacific Immigration Directors' Conference, People smuggling, human trafficking and illegal migration in the Pacific, 2014. ... pay smugglers to obtain fake ...
[38]
GAO-02-830T, Identity Fraud: Prevalence and Links to Alien Illegal ...
... smugglers search for other methods to introduce illegal aliens into the United States. ... passports and other identification and customs documents to smuggle ...
[39]
Almost 5 000 false identity documents seized in Greece - Europol
Mar 8, 2024 · ... illegal documents,electronic equipment,10 high-end laser printers and other equipment/material for the production of false documents,over ...<|separator|>
[40]
Eight arrests for printing fake documents in Greece - Europol
Jun 3, 2022 · Seizures of 362 forged documents (153 passports, 156 ID cards ... migrants being smuggled with the use of this network's illegal supplies.
[41]
17 arrested in Poland for migrant smuggling and using fake ...
Nov 22, 2019 · ... illegal immigration, were seized. Active since 2012, the organised ... fake employment documentation. Once in the EU, they were able to ...
[42]
Philadelphia CBP Seizes Counterfeit and Altered African Passports ...
Jul 24, 2020 · PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted seven counterfeit and altered African passports in Philadelphia ...
[43]
Passport and Visa Fraud - United States Department of State
Common passport fraud includes using deceased identities, fake documents, stolen passports, and circumventing signature requirements. Visa fraud includes false ...Missing: techniques | Show results with:techniques
[44]
Two year investigation leads to arrest of suspected migrant smuggler
Apr 19, 2023 · A suspected member of an organized criminal group involved in document fraud and migrant smuggling has been arrested by the Brazilian Federal Police.
[45]
[PDF] Terrorist Entry and Embedding Tactics, 1993 to 2001
Terrorists rely on forged passports and fake visas to move around the world unimpeded and undetected. This has been known for more than three decades. It is ...
[46]
Crossing Borders - How Terrorists Use Fake Passports, Visas ... - PBS
He used a counterfeit French passport to enter Canada and apply for political asylum. While living there, he supplied fake Canadian passports to other Algerians ...
[47]
[PDF] ALGORITHMS AND TERRORISM: - UN.org.
The use of forged passports for terrorism purposes is so widespread that investigators even believed that terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaida have ...
[48]
Russian Spies Allegedly Got Fake Passports From Uruguay ... - VICE
Oct 20, 2022 · Russian Spies Allegedly Got Fake Passports From Uruguay President's Bodyguards ... Polish authorities said they arrested a Russian spy near a ...
[49]
UK ringleaders jailed over scam providing fake passports for criminals
May 16, 2023 · The scheme provided falsified passports to individuals including Jamie Acourt, a former suspect in the original Stephen Lawrence murder inquiry ...Missing: capture examples
[50]
How did Scotland's most wanted criminals flee with fake passports?
May 16, 2023 · Two crime bosses who supplied fraudulent passports to some of Scotland's most wanted men, helping them to flee across international borders ...
[51]
Fugitive will be free within months after evading trial - AAP News
Mar 25, 2024 · A Victorian man who fled the country on a fake passport to evade his cocaine importation trial will be released from custody within months.<|separator|>
[52]
Levels of Security Features - Keesing Technologies
Security features, such as holograms or watermarks, are commonly categorized by level 1- overt, 2- covert. 3- forensic, and 4- secret.1st Level: Overt · 2nd Level: Covert · 3rd Level: Forensic<|separator|>
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The Security of IDs Volume 1: ICAO Standard Travel Documents
Apr 29, 2022 · Strong Passport Features With Multicolored UV Patterns, Microfibers, Holograms, and JURA Security Solutions Some of the most common—and the ...
[54]
The Main Security Features of a Passport - Vancis Capital
Optical variable ink – also called “color-shifting ink” – is a security measure often seen on high-value banknotes, and now seen on many country's passports.
[55]
Passport Security Features & Document Validation | Idmeirt - IDMERIT
Aug 5, 2021 · An additional passport security feature includes UV Fluorescent Ink, commonly referred to as invisible ink, adds another layer of protection to ...
[56]
components of a secure travel document in complex times - LinkedIn
Mar 12, 2025 · OVI (Optically Variable Ink) is an advanced security measure used in passports and other sensitive documents to prevent counterfeiting. It ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[57]
[PDF] An Overview of Electronic Passport Security Features.
The 6th version of the ICAO Document 9303 describing travel documents uses the technology of contactless smartcards, symmetric and asymmetric cryptography and ...
[58]
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Feb 12, 2024 · We started issuing a next generation US passport book in 2021. The book has new features, such as a polycarbonate data page, laser engraving, and updated ...
[59]
[PDF] Doc 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents - ICAO
ICAO Member States have recognized that standardization is a necessity and that the benefits of adopting the Doc 9303 standard formats for passports and other ...
[60]
ISO and the New ICAO Passport 2025 Standards - EAB
Jul 1, 2024 · These new standards include advanced security measures to combat fraud and forgery. Understanding these enhancements is crucial for security ...
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[PDF] WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS OF A MODERN PASSPORT?
More than half of all passports with a polycarbonate datapage have an eCover. IN Groupe also recommends this concept because, in terms of security against ...<|separator|>
[62]
How to Verify a Passport Like a Pro - Regula Forensics
Jun 21, 2024 · Color change. Tilt the passport and observe the color change. Authentic OVI will shift colors smoothly and clearly. Consistency with standards.Missing: methods altering
[63]
MRZ Explained: Machine Readable Zone for ID Verification | Ondato
Mar 27, 2025 · The Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) is a crucial element on passports and ID cards, encoding personal information for fast and accurate machine reading.Types Of Machine Readable... · How Machines Read Mrz Codes · Role Of Mrz In Identity...<|separator|>
[64]
[PDF] A42-WP/4751 - ICAO
Jul 29, 2025 · 3.1. Passive Authentication verifies the integrity of the data on the travel document chip; at checkpoints, the passport readers check that the ...Missing: methods | Show results with:methods
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RFID Verification: What It Is and How It Works - Regula Forensics
Jul 4, 2024 · The RFID verification flow looks simple from the user's perspective. You scan the RFID chip with a specialized reader or NFC-enabled smartphone.What information does an... · How to access an RFID chip · The types of RFID chip...
[66]
RFID Chip Logical Data Structure for E-Document Verification
Mar 13, 2025 · When an RFID reader scans an e-document, it first selects the DF of the relevant application: ePassport for travel documents, eDL for driver's ...
[67]
US Border Protection Is Finally Able to Check E-Passport Data
Feb 15, 2023 · After 16 years, the agency has implemented the software to cryptographically verify digital passport data—and it's already caught a dozen ...
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[PDF] Identity screening for safer travel - Interpol
SLTD DATABASE. INTERPOL's SLTD database holds information on more than 78 million travel documents reported stolen or lost by. 184 countries.
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INTERPOL Stolen/Lost Travel Document Database
Mar 11, 2014 · INTERPOL's Stolen/Lost Travel Document database (SLTD) is a searchable repository of information on passports, visas, and identity documents ...
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Sep 23, 2025 · Enhancing Security with Advanced Biometrics. How CBP is transforming security across America with biometric facial comparison technology.
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Border Control: How Officers Check Passports - Regula Forensics
Jul 31, 2024 · Officers visually check the passport photo, scan it, and check against databases. If doubts remain, a secondary inspection with forensic ...
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How will the EES work? What is new during the border checks?
You will have to provide your personal data. Passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. This information will be ...<|separator|>
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Doc 9303 - ICAO
Part 5: Specifications for TD1 Size Machine Readable Official Travel Documents (MROTDs) ... Part 6: Specifications for TD2 Size Machine Readable Official Travel ...
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The challenge of detecting false documents at the border
The purpose of this article is to contribute to the development of a methodology to assess the operational performance of document inspection capabilities.
[75]
[PDF] Doc 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents - ICAO
Nov 14, 2022 · Temperature stability. The MRTD shall remain machine readable at operating temperatures ranging from –10°C to +50°C (14°F to 122°F). The MRTD ...
[76]
Travel documents | EMM2 - Essentials of Migration Management 2.0
ICAO Doc 9303 leveraged standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC37) for machine readable travel documents ( ...
[77]
[PDF] TECHNICAL GUIDE TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ...
by this Convention, including the use of false identities, forged, altered or false ... photograph (passport, identity card, driver's licence or some similar ...
[78]
1944. 18 U.S.C. 1542 -- False Statement In Application For Passport ...
... Application For Passport And Use Of A Passport Fraudulently Obtained · 1945. 18 U.S.C. 1543 -- Making Or Using A Forged Passport · 1946. 18 U.S.C. 1544 ...
[79]
Charlotte Man Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Creating And ...
May 2, 2024 · Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 30 forged passport cards from Williams. Williams continued the fake passport ...
[80]
Career identity thief sentenced to more than 4 years in federal prison ...
Nov 18, 2024 · There are foreign nationals who fraudulently acquire U.S. passports and visas to carry out criminal activities, including financial fraud, ...
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Identity Documents Act 2010 - Legislation.gov.uk
(3)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine (or both) ...
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Manchester man caught applying for security work with fake passport
Dec 20, 2022 · A Manchester man has been sentenced after using a fake passport in an attempt to obtain a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence and get work as a security ...
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australian passports act 2005 - sect 32a
(b) the person knows that the document is a false Australian travel document. Penalty: Imprisonment for 10 years or 1,000 penalty units, or both. (2) ...
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Making, Providing or Possessing a False Travel or Identity Document
Dec 28, 2020 · Making, providing or possessing a false travel or identity document is an offence under section 73.8 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), ...Missing: fake | Show results with:fake
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Criminal Code - R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46 (Section 57) - Laws.justice.gc.ca
Every one who, while in or out of Canada, (b) knowing that a passport is forged is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not ...
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Use of fraudulent passports result in jail time - Canada.ca
Jan 27, 2020 · In early January, in Dartmouth Provincial Court, Suarez was sentenced to 18 months in jail; and Garcia and Orozco were sentenced to 24 months ...<|control11|><|separator|>
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Dec 15, 2014 · In 1914, Bureau agents broke up a ring run by Hans Adam Wedel, Carl Ruroede, and others who engaged in a variety of frauds to obtain passports ...
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SPIES USE CAMERA TO FORGE PASSPORTS; State Department ...
SPIES USE CAMERA TO FORGE PASSPORTS; State Department Quickly Finds Original from Which Germans Copied Document. OWNER SURRENDERS IT Paper Seized in London Was ...Missing: historical cases
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Image of WWI: ESPIONAGE, 1915. - A Passport, Fake Beard, And ...
A passport, fake beard, and fake mustache belonging to German spy Robert Fay, arrested in October 1915 for a plot to blow up American ammunition ships in New ...
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COMMUNIST FORGERS SENTENCED AT LEIPSIC; Four Sent to ...
LEIPSIC, July 6.-Four employes of the Communists' bureau for counterfeiting passports and other documents were sentenced to from two to four years yesterday ...
[91]
LIVING MAN'S NAME ON FAKE PASSPORT; Rubens-Robinson ...
The government's investigation of the Rubens-Robinson false passport case as a widespread search was started for five persons whose names were used by members ...Missing: notable | Show results with:notable
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The forgery team who supplied passports to wartime spies - Daily Mail
Feb 20, 2018 · A team of forgers working out of an Essex country house provided perfect counterfeit identity documents to spies fighting the Nazis throughout wartime Europe
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Fighting Nazis with Fakes: The Hidden Life of the Humanitarian Forger
Aug 25, 2011 · The Frenchman went on to become one of the world's best forgers, creating documents that saved the lives of Jews, spies and freedom fighters.<|separator|>
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Operation Bernhard - Wikipedia
... spies; grade 2 was to be used to pay collaborators; grade 3 was for notes ... Schwend was given two objectives: to exchange the counterfeit money for ...
[95]
False passport of Nazi Eichmann found in Buenos Aires court
May 30, 2007 · The false passport used by high-ranking Nazi Adolf Eichmann in 1950 ... "The American policy of the time was not to pursue Nazi war criminals ...Missing: 1940s | Show results with:1940s
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ODESSA - Wikipedia
... false passports. Although an unknown number of wanted ... Hunting Evil: The Nazi War Criminals Who Escaped and the Quest to Bring Them to Justice.Missing: fake | Show results with:fake
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9/11 Hijackers: The Passport Scam - Time Magazine
Feb 9, 2004 · Then, knowing that spanking-new passports would raise questions, the hijackers artificially aged them and forged entry and exit stamps ...
[99]
[PDF] 9-11 and Terrorist Travel
Aug 21, 2004 · Terrorists rely on forged passports and fake visas to move around the world unimpeded and undetected. This has been known for more than ...
[100]
Panel: Some 9/11 Hijackers Used Bogus Passports - 2004-01-27
Oct 26, 2009 · ... hijackers traveled on fake passports. They said some of the hijackers made false statements on visa applications that could have been detected.
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Dubai murder: fake identities, disguised faces and a clinical ...
Feb 16, 2010 · Dubai murder: fake identities, disguised faces and a clinical assassination. This article is more than 15 years old. CCTV appears to show ...
[102]
Britain To Expel Israeli Diplomat Over Killing - NPR
Mar 23, 2010 · British officials say the U.K. government is to expel an Israeli diplomat following the use of fake British passports in the assassination ...
[103]
Irish to expel Israeli diplomat over Hamas killing - BBC News
Jun 15, 2010 · ... fake passports in the killing of a Hamas official in Dubai. Foreign ... forged Irish passports associated with the murder of Mr Mabhouh".
[104]
Australia expels Israeli diplomat over fake passports used in Dubai ...
May 24, 2010 · ... fake British passports in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Dubai authorities blamed the Israeli Mossad intelligence service for the ...
[105]
The inside story of the Paris and Brussels attacks | CNN
Mar 30, 2016 · A doctored Syrian passport in the fake name of Ahmad al Mohammad would later be found near what remained of his right foot. At the moment of ...
[106]
Why Syrian refugee passport found at Paris attack scene must be ...
Nov 15, 2015 · And the front page of the British newspaper the Mail on Sunday stated definitively that the attackers “sneaked into Europe as fake Syrian ...
[107]
Belgium sentences fake-ID gang used by Brussels and Paris attackers
Jan 19, 2017 · ... terror attacks in Paris and Brussels. Thirteen received jail terms ... The group are said to have made around 2,000 fake documents. The ...
[108]
CBP Officers in Louisville Seize Hundreds of Counterfeit IDs
Mar 10, 2020 · US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville have made no less than 400 seizures of counterfeit identification in the past six months.
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[PDF] CBP Faces Limitations Detecting and Preventing Aliens ... - DHS OIG
Sep 12, 2025 · We reviewed a sample of 60 immigration files and found 28 (47 percent) were missing available information about the use of fraudulent documents, ...<|separator|>
[110]
Jamaican woman sentenced for passport fraud - Department of Justice
Oct 11, 2024 · Maria Josephine Wright-Lawrence, 34, a Jamaican citizen, who was convicted of false use of a passport, was sentenced to serve nine months in prison.
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[PDF] 2025 Identity Fraud Report - Entrust
Nov 13, 2024 · But for the first time ever, fraudsters are creating more digital forgeries than physical counterfeits, with digital forgeries increasing 244% ...
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Synthetic Identity Document Fraud Surges 300% in the U.S.
Jun 12, 2025 · Synthetic identity document fraud spiked by 311% in North America compared to Q1 2024, making it the region's most alarming growth vector.Missing: 2020-2025 | Show results with:2020-2025