I bought a fake id 30 years ago that used the actual backs from Rhode Island DMV that they acquired somehow, but then faked the fronts. Equipment like that can absolutely go missing.

I used to make fake IDs that reused both the plastic backing and the hologram layer from a real license. I spent some time creating a template in Photoshop that I ink-jetted onto photo paper. The final result was very close to the real thing in all aspects: look, thickness, weight, “bendyness”, real hologram, and light transmission (i.e. the bouncer shining a flashlight through the back of the ID would see what he expected to see. A bit of translucency)

I never got around to modifying the data on mag stripe. I just dragged a hard-drive magnet over it until it didn’t scan at all.

My takeaway from all that? The hologram that was used to strengthen the official IDs had an unintended side effect of making the fakes easier to believe.

Some DMV employees were busted selling real IDs with fake supporting documents in Arizona.

My friends daughter bought a fake ID stating that she was over 21 but only 16 - it would scan as authentic at stores but would not pass with police.

Or, he was a scammer as well - what are you going to do with an anonymous person who sold you fake passports? Report him to police?

Noooo! It can't be! I bought 5 of them and was planning on moving my family to London!

These markets actually have dispute systems, as far as I know