Identity document forgery

Identity document forgery is the process by which identity documents issued by governing bodies are copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those who would view the documents about the identity or status of the bearer.

Documents that have been forged in this way include driver's licenses (which historically have been forged or altered to conceal the fact that persons desiring to consume alcohol are under the legal drinking age), birth certificates, social security cards, (likely used in identity theft schemes, or to defraud the government) and passports (used to evade restrictions on entry into a particular country).

Such falsified documents are used for identity theft, age deception, and organized crime. With the advent of photo editing computer programs, the process of forgery of idenitity documents has become easier.

Phony passport

A phony passport is falsified ID that somebody generates to illegally enter a country due to (typically) being banned from that country and when they may be on the run (i.e. fugitive).

Many border crossing depots have advanced security (e.g. the United States and Canada). Many people have tried generating phony passports and very few of those people practiced hard to get away with it.