Fake ID fraud is a costly scam for auto dealerships, and the latest story out of Houston is a prime example of that.
According to the Houston Police Department, 22-year-old Gilberto Mojica was caught attempting to purchase a $35,000 vehicle using a counterfeit Texas driver’s license under the name “Jonathan Jaime.”
This wasn’t his first attempt either. Investigators discovered Mojica had already secured three other vehicles in the Dallas–Arlington area valued at nearly $100,000 using the same fake identity.
Mojica now faces felony charges, including tampering with a government record and making a false statement to obtain credit.
But for the car dealerships involved, the real cost goes beyond the recovered vehicles.
Fraud cases like this result in insurance claims, legal expenses, and a reputational hit for being perceived as an “easy target.”
Within a short period of time, Mojica was able to secure multiple vehicles across Texas before being caught.
With sophisticated fake IDs in circulation, even seasoned dealership staff can have a hard time spotting them.
And once a car leaves the lot, the financial risk rests on the business.
A 2022 survey by eLend Solutions found that 79% of car dealers experienced an identity fraud-related vehicle loss, while 40% of those reported a loss of one to two vehicles, and 60% reported a loss of three or more vehicles.
These stats bring to the surface the unfortunate truth that identity fraud at car dealerships is more common than one might think.
Auto dealerships don’t have to fight auto fraud alone. Our IDentiFake can help as it’s a forensic ID authentication system that performs 40–50 advanced security checks in just seconds.
It verifies embedded security features like:
With a database of over 6,000 global ID types from 190+ countries, IDentiFake can flag tampered or counterfeit documents in real time, long before the contract is signed or the keys are handed over.
Car dealers can add an extra layer of verification with DMVCheck, our pay-per-use service that checks documents for authenticity and acts as a second line of defense to determine if the state issued a US State ID.
As identity fraud becomes more sophisticated, dealerships can’t afford to rely on visual checks alone.
Tools like our IDentiFake and DMVCheck offer trusted defense against professional scammers, helping you protect your inventory, your reputation, and your bottom line.
Contact us today to learn more about IDentiFake.
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