DATE: Friday, July 11, 1997                 TAG: 9707110074

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: TAITE WESTENDORF, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   92 lines

FOOLPROOF FAKES? COMPUTERS CAN MAKE REAL-LOOKING FALSE IDS FOR THE UNDERAGE CROWD

IT'S NEVER been difficult to buy a fake ID, especially for those who are under 21 and eager to gain access to the world of night life, cigarettes and alcohol.

But with smart computers, the Internet and high-tech copy centers, fake IDs are not only easy to obtain, they're sophisticated.

``You can make an ID that is basically custom made for you, right down to the eye color,'' said an 18-year-old Princess Anne High School graduate who asked not to be identified. ``I've seen friends do it.'' By scanning information into the computer, ``you can change everything like Social Security, height, weight, name and even a signature to match what you really are.''

For those not savvy enough to design their own ID cards, the Internet offers a number of web sites that tout identification cards for as little as $4.95.

``Our IDs are not a laminated piece of paper and photo. All of your information is digitally printed on a credit card stock with a magnetic stripe on back,'' says the Positive I.D. web site. The cards cost $20.

Many of the Internet peddlers do not require proof of age, such as a birth certificate. Instead they depend on customers to mail accurate information. Often, their products get into the hands of underage teens, like the 17-year-old rising senior at First Colonial High who spent $45 on a fake ID via the Internet.

``They're good,'' George Stockhowe, special agent for state Alcoholic Beverage Control, said of the fake IDs, ``but they're not foolproof. We're catching them all the time. . . . You may get away with it or know somebody that's gotten away with it, but when your time is up, your time is up.''

Stockhowe acknowledged that computers have made many fake IDs look more realistic, but he added that the majority of the arrests he makes involve teens with fake IDs.

Once offenders are caught, Virginia law does not treat them leniently. Those found possessing a fake ID may be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Those who attempt to buy alcohol with a fake ID may also be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. They can be fined at least $500 or ordered to perform a minimum of 50 hours of community service. Moreover, their Virginia driver's license may be suspended for up to a year.

Despite the consequences, underage buyers pass through bars and convenience and liquor stores every day using a variety of fakes. They may choose out-of-state driver's licenses or ID cards, a friend's or relative's Virginia driver's license, or any other ID that businesses may honor.

``You could give them a handwritten card that says I'm 21 with a picture of yourself glued on it and it would work,'' said a 17-year-old rising senior at Tallwood High School who asked not to be identified. ``I think that most stores will accept just about anything, because the bottom line is that they want to sell as much as possible.''

Many store owners and employees dispute teens' claims that fake IDs are readily accepted.

``We require two forms of identification with matching signature, and even then I can use my discretion and turn them down. If there is any question or discrepancy, we don't serve,'' said Robin Linear, an employee at a Virginia Beach ABC store. Linear said her store combats the increasingly realistic fakes by having frequent staff meetings to discuss the acceptable forms of identification.

Lynn Berglund, a Virginia Beach Texaco employee, concurs, saying: ``We accept only military IDs, driver's licenses and passports. People think we're idiots, but we can tell if they're using a fake ID.''

Darian Hollinsworth, a 16-year-old rising junior at Bayside, suggested that the area's proximity to the beach and its many nightclubs tempt students to use fake IDs.

Danny Dill, a 17-year-old rising senior at First Colonial, also believes that the military presence in Hampton Roads heightens the use of fakes.

``You have these 19- and 20-year-old guys in the military who are ready to fight for their country and really do have adult responsibilities, and when they come into port, they want to relax and have a beer like other adults,'' Danny said.

Some teens believe the use of fake IDs could be avoided if the drinking age were lowered.

``The drinking age in most countries is much younger. They don't have teen-age drinking epidemics, so I don't see why it would be any different here,'' said Nick Schliske, an 18-year-old graduate of Cape Henry Collegiate.

Danalyn Norton, 19, who attends Florida State University, counters, ``If you lower the drinking age, all you're going to see is younger kids trying to use fake IDs.''

Stockhowe added that the drinking age is not meant to punish but to protect young people: ``The younger you are, the harder it is for your body to fight off alcohol. . . . We're trying to save young people's lives.'' MEMO: Taite Westendorf is a rising senior at First Colonial High School

in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KEN WRIGHT/The

Virginian-Pilot

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