REUTERS/U.S. And in. We reached out to CBP to ask about the viral claim about voter registrations, and a spokesperson said the agency could only confirm the facts it publicly reported and directed our questions to state elections officials. Sven Koppler, 37, admitted mailing some 247 live tarantulas to federal agents in Los Angeles, who were posing as buyers as part of an investigation dubbed Operation Spiderman, according to Reuters. A viral claim currently spreading on social media is spinning a legitimate story about fake IDs into an unsubstantiated tale about a voter fraud scheme. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. In 2011, CBP said it seized more than 1,700 counterfeit drivers licenses in the Chicago airport, mailed from China, also destined for college-age students. CBP Authorities gave the evidence to Homeland Security Investigation in New York. On Oct. 12, Officers discovered counterfeit driver's license's inside an inbound package at Louisville's Port of Entry. I was wondering what could possibly happen if a group of people ordered fake id's online from china and the package got seized at customs. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Registering to Vote in Illinois. Accessed 10 Sep 2020. Those registering by mail or in person in Wisconsin dont have to use those IDs, but they must provide proof of residence. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS PHILADELPHIA Sorry college kids: your fake ID may not be coming, as Customs and Border Protection agents in Philadelphia seized hundreds of fake IDs recently. Its worth noting that CBP has made many announcements about the seizure of such fake IDs, in Chicago and elsewhere. In a new spin on the package delivery scheme, scammers are no longer posing as mail carriers. We looked for any evidence to back up the claim in neighboring states and also found no corroboration. Mon, 07/27/2020 - 12:00. Also, voters dont register by party in Illinois. Accessed 11 Sep 2020. Most were for college-age students, and other licenses would share the same picture but have different biographical data. Legal Statement. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. [L]ocal election authorities also check Social Security numbers on applications, so a fake drivers license number that doesnt match up with a record at the Secretary of States Office would raise a red flag, Dietrich added. Michigan similarly allows online registration for those who have state licenses or IDs, but other documents proving residency can be used when registering in person or by mail. Brennan Center for Justice. "An examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding fish allegedly concealed inside a purpose-built apron." We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. Dietrich, Matt. Instead, Dietrich said, a voters party affiliation can be inferred based on the party ballot the voter chose at the most recent primary election., Beth Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Secretary of States Office (which oversees Driver Services), further told us in an email: According to our Secretary of State Police, they said their experiences with fraudulent [drivers licenses] made in China that are intervened by Customs at OHare generally involve underage kids obtaining them to get into bars. Has this happened before? It is a crime to make, carry or use a fake ID. The fake IDs flooding the market today are so sophisticated that they are fooling high tech scanners [] In regards to the bar code on the back, during the manufacturing process, the machine readable zone on the reverse of the license is encoded with the same information on the face of the license, ensuring a positive check should the license be scanned at a bar. Over 3,000 fraudulent IDs were recently seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Louisville in a span of one week. The licenses came in three shipments from Hong Kong . Have you heard about it? They may call police to verify if any ID is real, but they have their own process first. Counterfeit documents can be used by college students under the age of 21, to enter a bar or business that sells and serves alcohol. 3 years ago. The majority of these shipments were arriving from China and Hong Kong, with other seized shipments arriving from Great Britain and South Korea. 1,700 Fake IDs Seized at OHare. NBC Chicago. If the progressives are successful, the mail-in ballot system might produce millions of illegally cast votes for Democratic candidates on November 3rd, 2020! Registrations occur at the municipal level. BROOKINGS, S.D. Feb. 1: An Australian man was caught with two pigeons hidden in his pants on an international flight from Dubai to Melbourne, Australia. Custom and Border Protection officers seize 3,000 fake IDs in Louisville, Ky., November 2019. Thousands of fake drivers licenses smuggled from China and Hong Kong and seized in Chicagos OHare Airport since early 2020 were linked to voter-fraud operations, and could produce millions of illegally cast votes in the November 2020 U.S. general election. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. Customers and Border Protection agents found 743 fake IDs in 122 shipments searched April 1-15, according to a news release from the agency. A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center. CBP Louisville Seizes More than 5,000 Fake IDs. Press release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the shipment was just being sent to a Cincinnati residence. The U.S. government focused on repatriating the artifacts back to Egypt. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. Because there is no requirement to show a Michigan drivers license or State ID on Election Day to vote, it is not clear why an individual would use a fake document for that purpose. Wagney, Reid. Fraudulent IDs can also be associated with identity theft and terrorist activity. Inspection of a shipment on a Canadian mail truck in Marysville on May 25 revealed the illegal antiquities believed to be from between 305 to 30 BCE, the agency said. Some of the more than 5,000 counterfeit ID cards seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protections at a port in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. 8 comment (s) save When school first started here back with college starting back up, that first week was about six to seven of them, he said. e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System. Can a biosimilar reduce the cost of your medication? agents have seized more than 2,200 fake driver's licenses and more than 1,600 ID-making materials so far . CBP Officers coordinate findings with CBPs Fraudulent Document Analysis Unit, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal partners in an effort to combat this illicit activity. Accessed 17 August 2020. Charges of wildlife smuggling carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of about $70,430. Given that it is difficult to prove whether these falsified documents were intended to be used for a future event the November election, for example we assessed the likelihood that such documents could even pass muster in the voter-registration process. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I'm just not sure if appealing could bring my seized fake into the light and admit my guilt in any way. A legitimate issue with government documentation would not come via telephone. But a recent Facebook text post shared by more than 16,000 users tells the story like this: Feds Seize 19,888 Fake State Driver Licenses (Made in China) in Chicago OHare Airport ALL Registered to Vote ALL Demorats!, The website for the Hal Turner Radio Show published an Aug. 8 storywith a headline matching that text, asking in its story, [H]ow is it that that ALL of these phony names are ALL registered to vote and ALL registered as Democrats?. "Michigan's Election Landscape." Or they might talk about a diplomatic pouch. Or tell you a warrant is out for your arrest. Report Abuse 7 ANSWERS CE Craig W. Elhart (Unclaimed Profile) Update Your Profile Click Share This Page button to display social media links. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. U.S Customs and Border Protection officers at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit seized what they believe are several fake identification and credit cards from two Canadian citizens during a recent . These fraudulent identity documents can lead to identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, fraud linked to immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking, and these documents can be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize scrutiny from travel screening measures. The story has received about 32,000 engagements on Facebook, including nearly 10,000 shares, according to CrowdTangle analytics data. A similar claim emerged from a report that more than 19,000 fraudulent driver's. Spokeswoman, Michigan Department of State. The majority of these shipments arrived from China and Hong Kong. they were quick to respond and re print them. The shipments originated from China and were being shipped to various destinations throughout the United States. CBP officers in Michigan seized five jars of ancient Egyptian mummy linencoming illegally through the northern border in May 2019. Sony Dong, 56, was arrested in 2016 for again trying to smuggle endangered good luck songbirds into Los Angeles from Vietnam. That said, voters who do have a Michigan license or ID provide this information when registering to vote. "Shipments of Nearly 20,000 Fake Driver's Licenses Seized at Chicago Airport." 10 July 2020. Email to FactCheck.org. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Philadelphia snagged hundreds of phony state drivers' licenses over the past several months, the agency revealed Thursday. This material may not be reproduced without permission. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. No, they havent. But the story offered no source for the claims linking the IDs to voter registrations, and the radio show didnt respond to our inquiries asking for its evidence. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The 743 fake IDs were discovered in 122 shipments between April 1 and April 15, officials said. Koppler was arrested when he traveled to Los Angeles months later. The message says theres something wrong with Its Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. One article on the conservative website of David Harris Jr., said: Fake IDs have been around for decades, made by local criminals, but the timing for these IDs coming out of China at the same time Democrats are demanding no ID required universal mail-in voting, should send up red flags everywhere. Most were headed to people in states near Illinois, and most were for college-age students. Customs and Border Protection often confiscate illegal items such as drugs and fake IDs. Mueller, Karin Price. Home Doing any of these things is a crime in every state, although the penalties differ by state, there are a number of potential consequences that are uniform. Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? Officers noticed that these IDs were coming from the same. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 1,000 fake IDs at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. And if you spot this, or any scam, report it to the FTC atReportFraud.ftc.gov. PHILADELPHIA Sorry college kids: your fake ID may not be coming, as Customs and Border Protection agents in Philadelphia seized hundreds of fake IDs recently. A lock ( Snopes reached out to the Michigan secretary of state, which manages the voting process, regarding concerns over these IDs. The .gov means its official. The remaining licenses will be destroyed. First of all, security violation is huge as it is, but then if you think about how that affect your college, your criminal record, applying for some financial loans in the future just because of that identity-type fraud that you now have on your record, Hart said. When Voters Do (And Dont) Need Identification (ID). Cook County Clerks Office, Illinois. 27 July 2020. Q: Is the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy linked to autism or ADHD? The id's were in there shredded into about 50 pieces hidden inside an SAT booklet. Over a month span, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confiscated thousands of fake documents.. It's not how they operate. A voter's signature must also match the signature the government has on file when they apply for a ballot. If you get a call like this, here are a few things to keep in mind: For more information on these types of scams, visit ftc.gov/imposters. There they found 51 live tropical fish in plastic bags tucked into a custom-made apron tied around her waist. She added that [i]t is highly unlikely a fake license could pass through a bureau verification process. The drivers licenses were for various people in different states with a vast majority destined for neighboring states. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. The release didn't say where the IDs were made, but said they came on shipments mostly from China and Hong Kong, as well as South Korea and Britain. Accessed 18 August 2020. LOUISVILLE, Ky. 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