Are fake driving licences a problem?

freshpopcorn

Every so often I see these pop up ads on social media. I know some fake driving licences are mainly used by teenagers for alcohol/etc. The driving number seems correct, there name, address is correct but the DOB is wrong. However they don't feel correct or have the watermarks aren't visible under a UV light.

The address on the fake licenses seem legit on the social media pages.

Are these a problem on our roads or are they just a scam?

I did include links of what I'm talking about but deleted incase people got ideas.

L1011

They might pass a mass checkpoint where only a cursory glance is made, but they won't be on the app all the guards have to check for points etc and the holder will be arrested when that's checked. I doubt there's many trying to get away with them

bazz26

Be grand..

FishOnABike

I couldn't see them being much of a problem on the roads other than for anyone stupid enough to try presenting it as an actual driving license. It would only add to the number of offences they might be charged with.

Del2005

You won't get insurance as they require either a scan of front and rear of your licence(s) or the licence number(s). The Gardaí can check if the licence is valid in real time.

We also have thousands of banned drivers who haven't handed in their licence on the roads so I don't think the checks we have are much good so I wouldn't be surprised if people are using fake licences to drive.

antodeco

Surely people would just use "overseas" fake licences as much harder to check

hoodie6029

Bigger problem seems to be 1000’s if disqualified drivers not surrendering their licences and continuing to drive on them. The Mobility App should reduce the number of these slipping through check points.
1000’s upon 1000’s more with no licence at all out there. They stick to backroads so will never encounter a Guard.

There is ads all over Instagram selling real driving licence. I text the guy once for the laugh he works for the NDLS and the licence is a grand.

Maybe these are the same ads OP has seen, if so they aren't fake licenses they are real.

Miscreant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122037642#Comment_122037642

Real licences with fake details provided by someone on the "inside" for a fee…… NDLS are not going to officially advertise on Instagram!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038137#Comment_122038137

Well done Einstein haha

Where did I say it was the NDLS

Miscreant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038591#Comment_122038591

Well, you said he was from NDLS and then said "if so, they aren't fake licences, they are real". I was agreeing with you, but thanks for the "witty" comeback! 😐️

Anyway, I would imagine most of those using fake licences (whether they are REAL licences with fake details or fake licence and details!) are doing so more as a form of ID than actually considering presenting them to a Garda.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122037356#Comment_122037356

this ^^^

Like if just as an example a Ukrainian person here wants to exchange their licence for an Irish one. Are our people in NDLS / RSA going to be of the ability to differentiate between a real and a decent fake ? Maybe they have access to the Ukrainian database but either way…..

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122039435#Comment_122039435

i cant speak for how it works with exchanging a foreign licence for an irish one, but when exchanging my Irish licence for a local one, I had to get my driving history sent by the NDLS to the local authorities. I would presume/hope its a similar arrangement in Ireland

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122039435#Comment_122039435

Ukraine isn't a recognised country so all they'll get is a learners permit. The NDLS says on their site that they might contact the issuing country if you can exchange.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122037642#Comment_122037642

The chance that they actually work for the NDLS is nil.

If you could create driver numbers, associate fake PPS numbers and test passes to them, you'd be selling them to Mossad not people on Instagram.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044721#Comment_122044721

Says you. The chat I had with the guy there was no doubt it was legit.

How do you know you would need to create fake pps numbers etc and test passes...

The is Ireland, we have incompetent clowns running every aspect of the public sector, I would wage you are giving the system way more credit than it's due regards competency.

MarkR

Hes not going to tell you he photoshops a licence and prints it out on a card machine. Of course he'll say he's working on the inside. It's a selling ploy

Checks on something like licenses are so simple to implement, it would be crazy if there wasn't checks and balances.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045068#Comment_122045068

Or — here's a wild thought — maybe you're just very gullible?

Oscar_Madison

Other than under agers needing one to access alcohol or nite clubs or maybe over 18 music gigs I don’t really see any other need out there that would require a fake dr licence.
If you rented a car abroad I wonder would it suffice or do rental companies check that the licence is valid?
Air B&B require ID when you register and book a property- not mad on the idea of uploading an official document to such a website - maybe it would help in that instance.

antodeco

Fake ID + fake utility bill = Fake phone contracts = more fake utility bills = making money

banie01

The credit card style license managed by the NDLS, you can certainly get very convincing lookalikes. Like the OP, I've seen quite a few of the "Fake Driving license" ads on social media. Ads that claim they are registered on database, will pass any check and so on. For that to be true? Involves quite an amount of infiltration of the NDLS system.

I'm not saying it's impossible. Indeed, when the Council's managed the system? I knew of a scheme where a couple of people working for my local council ran a scheme that went on until 1 of them was fired supplying full and correctly registered licenses, only possible because of the paper based system in use at the time.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045068#Comment_122045068

You're believing a fraudster telling you absolute nonsense.

For a licence to come up on the mobility app as valid it will need the entire driver number paper trail to exist

Of course they're going to insist the licences are "real", they want your money. They aren't real and the person almost certainly isn't even in Ireland.

they are a scam. You don’t get anything except your money taken and you will not receive a licence. Simple as that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045068#Comment_122045068

you should change your name to silly goose! The guy will tell you anything to rob your €1000. He’s a scammer prob in Nigeria or something but he definitely doesn’t work for NDLS 🤣

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045068#Comment_122045068

Dodgy person selling fake licenses tell you they are legit

😂

He is hardly going to answer you they are a pile of boll**ks and pointless buying them is he now?

I work in the NDLS by the way, the one in Trim. You won't see me at front desk because I work in the back printing the licenses 🧐

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045681#Comment_122045681

I’d take a guess that this is the most likely scenario. I bought a fake ID online many years ago and of course it never arrived. Strangely enough they gave me a full refund tho when I questioned why it hadn’t arrived😂

koldun

I am sure with a foreign fake licence it would be grand. The EU is only trying to introduce a European wide ban for driving licences, where if you get banned off the road you also get banned in every other EU country but even this hasn't happened yet, which indicates that there is no database for checking licences/bans/penalty points across the EU countries. So I doubt it would be easy for them to check if the licence is real or not.

kirving

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045671#Comment_122045671

I could be physically a "real" card, in the sense that it's been run through the same type of ID card printer/hologram/embossing machine, with the same config files as an EU License would use.

I'm no counterfeiter, but one minute on Google and I found a machine (NISCA PR-5310) that could make a realistic card, and its only about €3,500. It wouldn't actually link back to the NDLS database, but that wouldn't matter if it's a teenager buying drink.

Although, given the lack of accountability in Ireland that facilitates the organisational shambles that is the driving test service (who's website put's me in a queue longer than Ticketmaster at 11am on a Monday morning…), Garda fake Breath test scandals, Garda penalty points scandals and HSE hacks to go unpunished, I would have zero confidence in stating that it's a 100% watertight system.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122045068#Comment_122045068

NDLS is run by our wonderful, efficient, customer-focused, never crashed the economy no siree!, private sector. HTH.