Fake IDs common on campus

*Names of the students in this story have been changed. The author spent four weeks interviewing friends, family members, fellow students, and their parents. Many of their stories appear in this article.*

There is snow on the ground at a park in Chester, Pa., and Ellen*, a 21-year-old marketing major at Saint Joseph's University, is falling asleep as she bends over to pick up an empty bag of Homegirls potato chips. Even though she had been out drinking until 5 a.m., she had to be at the park at 8 a.m.

In November 2007, three days before turning 21, Ellen was arrested in Wayne, Pa., for possessing a fake driver's license. A police officer pulled her over while she was on her way to work because the registration sticker on her license plate was expired. When Ellen attempted to give the police officer her driver's license, he spotted her fake ID card underneath the real one.

Ellen went to court and was fined $230, ordered to do 32 hours of community service, and told to attend 12 hours of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Ellen is bitter about the experience, mostly because she got caught.

"I, like every other college student I know, owns a fake, but I happened to be the only one that got caught," Ellen said.

There are no official statistics on how many college students have fake ID cards, but most Saint Joseph's students say they do. Many students have fabricated fake ID cards, or real ones passed on from older siblings or friends.

Many of the students at St. Joe's say they need fake ID cards because of the limited social options at night other than going out to the bars.

"Getting a fake ID was definitely worth it," said Megan, a senior English major. "I was able to go out and do whatever I wanted, and it was even more worth it once St. Joe's started shutting down all the off-campus parties even though our options were limited to begin with."

Not everyone who has a fake ID card uses it to buy or drink alcohol. Before she turned 21, Anna, a senior marketing major, used her card simply to get into bars to hang out with her friends.

"Living in Philadelphia and going to St. Joe's makes it tempting to go to the cool bars in Old City and Manayunk, and my ID allowed me to experience this two years sooner than I should have," Anna said.

Students acquire their fake ID cards in various ways. Some purchase them from students on campus who make them, make their own or get them from various connections.

"I had a couple of fake IDs," said Megan. "The first one I got as a graduation present from one of my older friends. The second one I got from a kid that lived on the first floor of McShain. The third one I got from a friend at home who made them."

Katie, a senior marketing major, paid $15 for her card. That's comparatively inexpensive, since many students say that they usually pay between $80 and $150. Katie bought hers from a fellow St. Joe's student who did not need it anymore because she was upgrading to a better fake ID.

"It started to peel on the sides and I had to use my hair straightener to flatten the sides before I would go out," Katie said.

Some students rely on family members for their IDs, especially if their older siblings look similar to them. Others take advantage of older friends whom they physically resemble.

Many students say that ID cards from family members work best, because they are familiar with street addresses, birthdays, and other information bouncers test them on as they try to enter bars. Typically, these cards are also real driver's licenses, and will pass the scanners that determine their validity.

"My third [ID] was free and was from my older sister who finally turned 21," said Laura, a senior business major. "The one my sister gave me was great and I was never refused once."

Some students said they traveled as far as New York City to get fake ID cards that they hoped would scan and work anywhere. Students from Connecticut or New Jersey said it was common knowledge in their hometowns that New York City had plenty of places to get fake ID cards.

"It was well-known that every tattoo parlor had a shop in the back to make fake IDs," said Laura, who bought two of her fake IDs in New York City.

Two other St. Joe's students each traveled to New York City for fake ID cards, only to be scammed.

Karen, a senior English major, was in Manhattan looking for a men's clothing store that she had heard sold fake IDs. She was approached by a young man who asked her if she and her friend needed fake ID cards.

"Being na've, we went with him and told him about the store," she said. "He told us that he worked there and took us to a random clothing store."

The man knew what Karen was looking for and played along, asking for her name and the state that she wanted designated on her ID.

Unconcerned for her safety, Karen and her companion followed the man to the store, eager to complete her mission.

"While walking he asked us for $80 dollars each," said Karen. "We gave it to him. Then he told us he was going to go back to the store to check, and we should wait down the street on a bench. He never came back. When we went to the store, the cashier told us he had never seen the man before."

Stephanie, a senior pharmaceutical marketing major, fell into a similar trap, following a man who said he could get her a fake ID.

"He took us to this place where he said we had to give him the money before we saw the ID," said Stephanie. "We were hesitant, but desperate for an ID, so we did it."

The man then told Stephanie that she and a male friend who was with her would have to wait for him at a McDonald's until the ID was ready.

"While we were all at the McDonalds, he said he needed to step outside for a second," she said. "We waited for 40 minutes and he never came back."