NORTH Vancouver RCMP say they are noticing an uptick in the number of incidences of minors being caught with fake IDs.
According to a press release from Cpl. Richard De Jong, there have been 12 recent cases of teens being caught with phony out-of-province driver's licences and government citizenship cards, which are typically used by kids to buy alcohol and get into bars. The average age of the kids being caught with them was 16, according to De Jong.
"Obtaining and using fake identification is an ongoing concern with our youth," De Jong said in the release. "Over the past few years there have been significant changes in the technology available, the quality of the ID cards produced, and the attitudes around using the cards. This is big business for the criminal who charges between $160 and $180 for two pieces of fraudulent identification."
De Jong said the teens are putting themselves at significant risk of having their identities stolen by handing over their personal information to known fraudsters.
De Jong said parents need to talk to their kids about drinking and fake IDs.
"It is important that parents educate their children on the dangers of underage drinking and take action if they discover their children have obtained false identification. The safety of their children's future may just rely on them literally acting their own age," De Jong said.
