Don’t trust the word “trust!” Fraudsters can easily say things they don’t mean or make promises they won’t keep. And they use the word “trust” loosely. Between March 13, 2019, and February 16, 2023, James Watt worked for a public website that allowed customers to purchase fake driver’s licenses, paid for mostly by Bitcoin. The website’s tagline boasted “Your #1 Trusted Source for Fake IDs.”
Over the course of four years, Watt manufactured more than 30,000 fraudulent driver’s licenses and other forms of false identification. Customers would upload photos of themselves and an address to which to send the new ID. Watt then mailed the false identifications via U.S. Postal Service collection boxes throughout Indianapolis. In exchange for this work, Watt was paid more than 14 Bitcoin. As of January 16, 2025, 14 bitcoin was worth more than $1.3 million. Watt’s became a millionaire simply through the manufacturing and mailing of thousands of fake IDs. He was essentially a one-man Bureau of Motor Vehicles. And while Watt’s was not the operator of the website, he did operate the equipment to manufacture thousands of quality fake identifications.
Although many of the fake IDs were purchased by underage college students, many IDs were purchased by adults far older than 21, implying their use was for another nefarious purpose. After all, identification is needed to board a plane, buy cough medicine, rent a car, open a bank account, apply for government assistance, pick up prescriptions, visit a casino, and purchase a firearm.
On February 10, 2025, Watt pled guilty to unlawful production of identification documents.
Great job by the U.S. Postal Investigation Service in this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Indiana man pleads guilty to making and selling more than 30,000 fake IDs” published by The Guardian on February 10, 2025.
An Indiana man has been sentenced to three years of probation for making fake IDs after being caught working for a website that publicly declared: “Your #1 Trusted Source for Fake IDs”.
James Watt, 26, pleaded guilty to unlawful production of document or authentication feature and money laundering, after the US attorney’s office of the southern district of Indiana accused him of manufacturing and mailing 30,000 fake driver’s licenses and other forms of false identification. According to court documents, Watt worked for a website between 2019 and 2023 that allowed customers to purchase fake driver’s licenses, paid for mostly using bitcoin.
