Ryan Maloney, owner of Julio's Liquors, said the store takes the use of fake IDs very seriously.

Photo Credit: Danielle Kahn

The advanced ID detection system showing the entire reading of a fake ID previously left at Julio's Liquors.

Photo Credit: Danielle Kahn

Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon.

Photo Credit: Danielle Kahn

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. – When students come home from college for the holidays, their laundry might not be the only thing they bring back with them. For many liquor stores and restaurants in Westborough, this could also mean a rise in the use of fake IDs.

According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor vehicles, in most cases, using a false ID, altering an official ID or using another person’s ID is a felony with serious penalties. Even if the user of a fake ID is not convicted, the RMV is allowed to suspend their license and the right to operate a vehicle in Mass.

Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon said local restaurants and bars do see a rise in the use of fake IDs during the holidays.

‘It’s definitely a trend but it’s something we’ve experienced for many years,” Gordon said. “It’s just amazing what kids will do to procure alcoholic beverages.”

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Julio’s Liquors found three fake IDs when their ID screening hardware rejected them. Each fake ID was from Rhode Island and one was left behind and handed over to the Westborough Police Department.

“They were all Rhode Island IDs and like other liquor stores we take out of state IDs at our own risk,” Julio’s Liquors owner Ryan Maloney said. “We don’t get a lot of fake IDs because people know we’re on the stricter side. This time was also different because they were all from the same state.”

Gordon said that because they obtained the fake ID, the police department’s investigators found the website providing the illegal fakes. They also notified other restaurants and liquor stores of the issue.

“It was very official looking and it even had the hologram. When you look at it, it normally wouldn’t stand out,” Gordon said.

Maloney said Julio’s Liquors is capable of finding these fakes because of the advanced ID detection system they use at their registers. The scanner reads every part of the ID and displays it in several sections on the computer screen. It checks things like age, expiration, the bar code, infrared and even microprint and patterns. It then displays which ones pass and which don’t.

Maloney said he invested in all the hardware because he wants to try to get the fake IDs off the streets.

“For them, it can be a slap on the wrist. For us, we could lose our license,” Maloney said. “It’s not worth the time, effort or the money to make that sale. I’m the father of two young girls and I don’t want them drinking underage. We take it very seriously.”