On a Sunday morning after last night’s frat party, a hungover sophomore googles “buy fake IDs.” She clicks on a website called ID God, which claims to be the only real novelty ID site. Then, she pays via digital currency application Bitcoin and waits.

Then the IDs arrive, buried underneath cheap necklaces and bars of soap. They’re ready for her and her friends to head to Smokes.

It’s a scam

In order to get a fake ID, you need to provide your personal details and payment information. You can also provide a photo of yourself. The website will use this information to make your identification as authentic as possible. Once you have completed the process, the site will send your ID to you within a week. The company is committed to customer satisfaction and offers a money-back guarantee on its products.

Some online fake ID sellers, such as ID God, encourage students to place group orders to lower the price per person. For example, a Rhode Island ID costs $100 for one person, but four people can buy it for $40 each. This is a great deal for college students, who often need to use their fake IDs to purchase alcohol or enter 21-and-up bars and clubs.

However, many first-years have been scammed by fake ID sellers. One anonymous student, who goes by Cuervo, had hers confiscated at customs and faced a $90 fine.

It’s illegal

As fake IDs become easier to obtain and more convincing, bouncers are increasingly falling for them. These fakes, sold by websites like ID God, promise “Get your new ID. Be part of the crowd.”

After ordering online, customers pay using digital transactions called Bitcoin to keep their identities untraceable. The fakes are then shipped to the US in decoy packages filled with knickknacks. Those who are caught face up to a $200 fine and a ninety-day license suspension.

During NSOP, Liz* wrangled $60 from her high school friends and placed an order with ID God, which advertises itself as “The #1 trusted fake id website worldwide.” A few weeks later, she received her first batch of IDs in the mail, buried under plastic chopsticks. The business has now been shut down, and reports of IDGod shipments seized by Customs have made their way to the fake ID subreddit. The site’s homepage now says, “Unfortunately our company is no longer in operation.” The story of how this business went under highlights some of the dangers and pitfalls of buying fakes online.

It’s not good for you

Most fake IDs on campus come from a single company: IDGod. They are fast, decently priced, and reliably scannable. But this semester, IDGod seems to be in decline. The company’s website no longer accepts orders, and reddit users have been reporting that their shipments are being seized by Customs.

The idgod website features pictures of young, attractive people and states that “Our ids are high-quality and reliable.” This is an attempt to appeal to consumers’ emotions by using the rhetorical device of pathos.

Students have been posting videos and comments to TikTok and group chats warning friends about idgod’s decreasing quality. Bouncers at Piranha’s, a popular bar on campus, have noticed a decrease in their patrons since idgod’s decline. They have linked this drop in attendance to the recent announcement that Piranha’s will be replaced by a Mel’s Frozen Yogurt. This is a huge blow to the campus community. Piranha’s has long been a bastion of interstate commerce, with bouncers seeing IDs from Washington, New York, and Rhode Island regularly.

It’s not worth it

Until recently, IDGod was the most popular fake-ID seller amongst college students. Its IDs were reasonably priced, quick to arrive, and reliably scannable. It also incentivized groups of students to order in bulk by decreasing the price per person. However, a faceless man named IDGod runs the business, and it is alleged that he is profiting from the illicit trade in fake identification. The business has been largely successful, but its popularity is waning as US Customs and Border Protection shut down its rival, IDChief. The faking of IDs is still popular amongst young people, but it isn’t worth it in the long run.