Fraudsters are using AI to churn out fake IDs before selling them to under-18s for as little as £12 - and experts say supermarkets, pubs and airports need to be on 'red alert'

• Fraudsters are using the latest AI technology to churn out masses of fake IDs
• Experts say the forgeries are so ‘sophisticated’ they are hard to spot

Fraudsters are using the latest AI technology to churn out masses of high-quality fake IDs in just minutes, a report has warned.

Yoti, which provides facial estimation systems for British supermarkets and pubs to check users are over-18, said the forgeries were so ‘sophisticated’ they were hard to spot.

The British firm highlighted an underground website called Onlyfake that used the technology behind chatbots to create ‘highly convincing’ AI-generated IDs for just £12.

With a reported 20,000 being produced every day, an investigation found they were good enough to bypass an online trading platform’s strict verification system.

Security experts said supermarkets, pubs, and airports would also need to be on ‘ red alert’ – warning many were ‘woefully unprepared to deal with this threat’.

Fraudsters are using the latest AI technology to churn out masses of high-quality fake IDs in just minutes, a report has warned

READ MORE: Supermarkets call for new laws that let them use AI to verify a customer is over-18 when buying alcohol

It has sparked further fears known-scammers could use them to get past strict checks to work in finance again or convicted offenders to work with children.

Yoti uses cutting-edge facial estimation technology to determine someone’s age within 18 month using just a picture with near 100 per cent accuracy.

Major British supermarkets – including Tesco, Asda and Morrisons – already have it installed in their self-service checkouts to ensure people buying alcohol are over-18.

In its first annual Identity Fraud Report, Yoti said its security centre had recorded a noticeable rise in counterfeit documents and impersonation attempts over the past year.

They said scammers were increasingly taking advantage of ‘this low hanging fruit’, which ‘for little effort and low cost, someone could create a fake document image in minutes.’

A recent investigation found an underground website called OnlyFake boasting it was producing 20,000 images of counterfeit IDs every day, which could be ready for order ‘near instantly’.

Yoti, which provides facial estimation systems for British supermarkets and pubs to check users are over-18, said the forgeries were so ‘sophisticated’ they were hard to spot

READ MORE: How old am AI? Robot face scanners will be used in UK supermarkets to see if shoppers are old enough to buy booze 

For just £12, it provided an AI-generated photo of a US driving license with the name, bio, address, expiration date and signature the reporter had asked for.

To make it look more real, the AI also created a carpet background to make it appear as though it had been taken in the owner’s house.

They then used it to successfully pass a strict verification process on a cryptocurrency exchange, which had appeared in several court records due to its use by criminals.

On its Telegram account, the site boasted it created up to 20,000 documents a day – fuelling fears the practice could be streamlining bank fraud and money laundry.

Suid Adeyanju, chief executive of cybersecurity firm RiverSafe, said: ‘Generative AI is set to fuel a tidal wave of highly effective scams and the reality is that many organisations are woefully unprepared to deal with this threat.

‘In the wrong hands this technology will equip fraudsters with the tools they need to accelerate criminal activity, falsifying documents, including bank cards and passports.

‘Supermarkets, pubs, and airports all need to be on red alert for highly convincing fake ID and have the tools and training in place to spot it.’

Derek Mackenzie, chief executive of financial and technology recruitment specialists Investigo, said: ‘Fake IDs could also pose substantial risks when it comes to background checks and jobs in sensitive industries which require security clearance’

He added: ‘Cheap, easy to use and fast; Generative AI is an incredibly dangerous tool in the hands of fraudsters.

‘That’s why it’s vital that businesses of all sizes equip themselves with the latest digital skills, to help recognise potential scams and keep criminals at bay.’

Yoti said it has cutting-edge technology in place to protect against fraudsters, such as a ‘liveness’ feature, which ensures the person verifying themselves with a selfie is really there and not using a printed or digital photo, video or mask.

The company said it also had a 150-strong human team of ‘super recognisers’ to fall back on when its computer systems couldn’t be completely certain, alongside a 24/7 dedicated counter fraud team.

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