Fake ID website busted; Dutch police deal a blow to criminal infrastructure

According to Politie[.]nl, on 27 August the Rotterdam Police Cybercrime Team seized data from the VerifTools website’s servers during a data centre seizure in Amsterdam, with the operation carried out in collaboration with the FBI, which simultaneously took the platform offline.

VerifTools, one of the largest providers of fake ID images, allowed users to upload a passport photo, enter false information, generate an image of a fake ID, and download it after payment to conceal their true identity, enabling circumvention of Know Your Customer checks. At the Amsterdam data centre, police secured two physical servers and over 21 virtual servers, and the platform’s entire infrastructure has been secured and copied for investigation, with data being examined to identify administrator and users.

The site reportedly had a minimum estimated revenue of €1.3 million and was easily found via multiple URLs. Forgery or counterfeit identification carries a maximum prison sentence of six years, according to the Public Prosecution Service, which does not rule out future arrests.