Fake Identification Books

In a word, awesome! This is a practical guide to actual assembly techniques. Little time is spent discussing when or why someone would do what the author tells you how to do. Other books cover those tasks quite well. I'm sure all this info is dated, but it's still quite informative.

I really did like this book, it does have a wealth of information which can be APPLIED to more modern techniques, and generally just gets you thinking in different directions as a book like this should. But given todays climate and the fact that every state has improved security tremendously around IDs and ID cards and even birth certificates, unless you want to try your hand with a laminated Maine ID and or birth certificate printed on improper paper (and probably end up in jail), this may not be the best resource to follow word for word any longer. I didnt like the fact that he barely delved into the new world of teslin and pvc credit card hologramed high quality state IDs (if at all actually) as I feel that you would have to in a book of this nature today, but overall there are some worth while "ideas" in this book that have helped me get a bit better in the real world. Id recommend, but with a bit of caution depending on what your planning on doing, or not doing (*wink*).

This is an excellent book for someone wanting to delve into id replication, and techniques. The author is very knowledgeable on the topic he discusses in this book. From start to finish, it leaves you with a very clear understanding of the methods used to create a means of identification. Fair warning, and as he states in the book, it isn't meant for someone attempting to purchase or obtain alcohol. The book does not go into detail on every state, better yet, it focuses on information that will actually help you make an id. Full of resources and techniques, this book is an EXCELLENT guide for someone with the incentive of making an id.

Finally. A novelty ID construction book that deals with the meat of ID construction. Refreshingly, two chapters WERE NOT dedicated to lamination. I think we all know how to laminate.

MUCH ATTENTION was paid to creating holograms (something we actually need to learn).

The research was obvoiusly thorough and comprehensive. The author does not take credit for ideas that aren't his. All his sources are properly credited (though usually anonymously by request of the source). But, hey, it shows CLASS.

VERY REFRESHING slant for a genre that has of late been falling into the trap of selling titles. This book as REAL SUBSTANCE.

An excellent reference source for anybody interested in this art. Also great for writers who need to research underworld maneuvers for their "villain" characters.

Thank you, Mr. Charrett!!!!

I just finished reading this book, and I loved it! I must admit I was skeptical before I ordered because we have all been scammed at one time or another. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had NOT been ripped off this time! This book lives up to the hype and does not disappoint the reader. The knowledge of the author is complete on the subjects discussed, detailed instruction is given, and (most importantly!) common pitfalls are exposed. I found myself exclaiming out loud "Wow, THAT little tidbit alone is worth the cost of this book." about six or seven time throughout my reading. I also would like to add that if you are interested in this kind of thing, this book is a great learning tool, a good place to start. Thanks Sheldon, for a well written, (often hilarious) informative, eye-opening book.

This survey of the circumstances of forgery and its place in the art world examines the ethics and art of the fake, from the implications of forged items to their existence in and impact upon the contemporary art world. The Fake blends history, ethical concerns and artistic examination in a delicate weave of unique insights.

it combines great scholarship, entertaining story-telling and an innovative theoretical approach. Radnoti's book is a jewel in contemporary art history as it is also an original statement about the vicissitudes of our postmodern condition.

What is wrong with a fake? Is it wrong at all? The discussion of these questions leads Radnoti to the re-examination of the main aesthetic and conceptual implications of the autonomous art of modernity (originality, novelty, tradition, canon), to their crisis and transformations in the practice of contemporary art. This is one of the most original and interesting books in art theory published in the last decade.

This book is full of information on how to disappear and never be found.
It even tells you how to obtain a new SS#. If you like this kind of info then you should read this book.

The book is very well researched with lots of pictures, clear explanations and covers a lot of topics, my problem was that I was interested in painting forgeries and there are very little of this here. If your interest is forgeries and scams in general this is a good thing.

Overall this is an awesome book, it gives a brief history of the worlds most famous forgeries and fakes, from Art, money, and documents to religious and medical works, made by some very interesting and crafty people. I highly recommend this book, however if you are interested in one particular subject you may not like that its really brief on each subject, or if you are looking into a new line of work, this book doesn't exactly give you a "how to" on making your own money sorry, even still this book is a very interesting read.

This "author" is a liar, a lawyer, and a snitch. If you think it couldn't get any worse it does: he thinks his writing is clever. Wait for his victim (Fetterman)'s book.

Someone had recommended this book to me as a "good read". really didn't even know why I bought the book as I thought reading about ebay would be totally boring. Well I was wrong. The book sat on a shelf at my home for 3 months before I even opened the cover. Couldn't sleep one night and picked the book and started to read. I honestly couldn't put it down until I had finished from cover to cover. It is a great story and well written by the author. Whether you don't care about art or even Ebay this is an interesting story written in such a way that you find yourself totally emersed in the deceptions of an art forger who gets caught and the story line of getting caught and punished in a court of law. This is a good read.

My son picked "Fake" for our mother/son book club. The boys are sixteen; the mothers work in a variety of professional fields. No one was bored. Everyone finished the book, which is unusual. Discussion was lively and wide-ranging, even with the author present. I asked and he came!

Part of the charm of the book, the story and the man derives from our inherent hope that people can grow by surviving adversity, even self-made, or perhaps, especially self-made. Walton gives readers an engaging look at the California art scene and ebay, while allowing us to watch him decide what he will do next.

If he writes another book, I'll definitely read it.

In the early heyday of ebay bidders flooded the site willing to buy nearly everything - among them art collectors who hoped to buy bargains and rarities from less educated listers. FAKE describes the actions of one Kenneth Walton, a lawyer who was not only seduced by an online con artist, but who become one himself. From his initial hobby as an online art-trading hobbyist to his entry into a world of fraud and selling fakes which would lead to a federal felony conviction, FAKE: HOW ONE MAN'S CON GAME CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL AND TRIGGERED A NATIONWIDE FBI HUNT tells of a hobby gone wrong and packs in all the detail and excitement of a true adventure read.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I am a high end art collector at major auctions and have looked at ebay items up for sell. So many are obviously fakes that I have written to a couple of power sellers. They immediately threatened to sue me.

However, that is not why I am writing this review. This is a story of someone who knew nothing about art but was slowly engulfed in a new world where profit opportunity was high and old rules no longer applied. The individual involved acted like a major corporation in slowly bending the rules until they no longer believed the old rules or thought they could not possible be caught.

I think the story should be read by every corporate executive in America. It shows how easy it is to justify going 65 in a 55 zone and then occasionally speeding up to 85 when you think no one cares that you are going over the speed limit.

It is also an inspirational tale. I am very impressed with the author and how he changed his life around.

I would also recommend this book to anyone buying or selling on ebay. It is unbelievable how some of the items are marketed there. Ebay is not incented to police it to the degree they should. Buyer beware. At least for sure, I can tell you the art is not what you think it is!

This is a fast read .. get it.

Trent Sands does a great job of detailing the underground Fake ID and Novelty ID world. He does a great job telling the story of TheIDShop.com who was one of the first online providers of these ID Cards. Trent Sands is a great security expert and very revered in his field.

FakeID by Modem & Mail is a book that is always a recommended read for my customers. The book is the perfect compliment to your already-exisiting library of similar titles for the hard times.

Jam packed with good, honest and useful information, the book is short, quick and to the point. However, the book is somewhat of an overview, and does not go as deeply as it could on some topics. That is the *only* reason this book is not deserving of a five, becuase it is somewhat shallow in its approach. None the less, the book is recommended reading, and most are sure to walk away knowing something more than they did before the picked up the title.

In the interest of what accounts for a 'fake' this book offers some good insights and essays. It explores the issues of artist copies, deliberate forgeries, wartime counterfeiting, and historic fakes vs. contemporary. The book gets muddled in its handling of layout and captioning: images are often on separate pages than their captions - and the captions often reference objects that aren't in the pictures. This is maddening when you are trying to visualize the description between the fake and the real object, for most often the real object is not shown for comparison.