Massive China-based counterfeit ID selling operation unmasked

HackRead reports that more than 6,500 counterfeit U.S. and Canadian Social Security cards and driver's licenses have already been peddled by the China-based ForgeCraft operation across North America, yielding revenues exceeding $785,000.

More than 83 websites have been leveraged by ForgeCraft to sell forged IDs, which were made with special UV markings and scannable barcodes to establish legitimacy, according to an analysis from CloudSEK's STRIKE team.

ForgeCraft has also used everyday items to conceal the fake IDs when delivered via USPS and FedEx, while promoting itself on Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube to ensure a global reach, noted CloudSEK, which has called on law enforcement to sequester the illicit domains.

"This case demonstrates the critical importance of comprehensive threat intelligence in combating sophisticated criminal operations. Without visibility across social media, dark web, and infrastructure channels, investigations of this depth would be nearly impossible," said CloudSEK security analyst Ibrahim Saify.