People flying into the US and working as migrant workers take up a considerable proportion of the workforce there. While they are an important part of the working class, some have also taken advantage of it and entered into the US illegally with fraudulent documents. Most of such people there claim to own a green card as a means of their stay there. While in reality, they do not own a green card at all.
Various companies across the states are making hundreds of forged ID documents and green cards every day. If you have been handed over a green card or and ID by any such person who seems to be sketchy, there are a few ways you can identify either the documents are legitimate or not. It is essential to keep in mind that the green card is not actually green like its name suggests.
Signs that help to spot a fraudulent green card
- The ID picture– When you have been handed over a green card and doubt if it is legitimate, the first thing to do is look closely at the ID picture. When the government issues a green card, the picture they take is taken from a precise angle. According to that angle, the person’s right eye can be seen clearly, and the person is not looking directly into the camera. Moreover, run your finger over the picture. If the car is slightly raised or indented from the place, the chances are that it is not real.
- Spelling and grammar mistakes– One of the basic most ways to spot a fraudulent card is to look for font mistakes or spelling errors. Furthermore, the format and placement of the text is also another common indicator. When looking at the suspicious card, compare the dates mentioned on the back and front, and see if they match. Often the companies making bogus cards make such mistakes.
- Quality of the hologram– The most important factor that ensures the cards’ legitimacy is the hologram on it. It must be the logo of the Department of Homeland Security.
- Wrong information– mostly such low budget companies that provide fraudulent cards have highly inexperienced staff and are not well educated. They can often make mistakes, like attaching the picture of one person to another’s card. Such mistakes can be the swiping of names and other characteristics of the person. When such staff is given ample information to handle and organize, it is common for them to make such mistakes. Hence authenticate the documents and cross-check them to look for such errors.
- Placement of information on the card – a particular placement pattern is followed on the legitimate green cards. The picture is always placed on the front side of the green card. It is located on the left side of the front of the card. The hologram also has a specific place on the card. According to the latest redesign, the hologram is located on the upper left part of the green card’s backside. The placement plays a crucial role in the authentication factor of a green card.
- Condition of the card – the green cards that get older or the fraudulent cards often have poor quality material used in their manufacturing process. Such cards often have their edges raised due to the poor quality and excessive use. Some even get double lamination done in the struggle to make it look authentic, but rather it just adds to it looking more illegitimate. Fraudulent cards are manufactured using low-quality glue that does not stick the edges of the lamination well. The surface of the lamination is uneven and raised from various places. The glue often shows as well from the edges and other places where it is applied. Such cards can be easily identified as the work is done by hands rather than professional machines.
The problem of fraudulent identification cards is now a much more significant problem than ever. It has become highly accessible for everyone to get fake id in today’s time than ever before. Simply question the person carrying such cards if you think they are suspicious. A person’s tone and how they answer those identification questions will tell you a lot about their green card’s status. Hence, follow the steps mentioned above to spot a person carrying an illegitimate green card.