Amid news that anti-counterfeiting components used in the making of Republic of China national ID cards were sold on Chinese online shopping Web site Taobao.com, the Ministry of the Interior yesterday advised people how to tell a genuine national ID card from a counterfeit.
According to checks by the Taipei Times, materials for making the security threads on national ID cards and paper similar to that used in the cards were being sold on Taobao.com, as were various types of color-changing ink.
People can inspect three key anti-counterfeiting features on a national ID card to find out whether it is genuine, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) told a news conference in Taipei.
They can hold the card up against the light to see whether there are watermarks of Taiwan proper’s outline, the main peak of Yushan (玉山, Jade Mountain) and the symbol of the ministry, Chen said.
They can also tilt the card to see whether there is a laser-etched image of Taiwan proper on the bottom right corner of the card that changes size when the angle of the card is shifted, he said.
They can also check if they can feel another watermark of Taiwan proper next to the ministry’s official seal, he said.
When held against the light, an image of Taiwan comprising tiny pinholes can be seen on the front of the card, he said, adding that no holes should be visible on the back of a genuine national ID card.
There are more than 20 security features on a genuine national ID card, making it extremely difficult to replicate, Chen said, reassuring Taiwanese that their national ID cards are safe from misuse.
The ministry has uncovered one case of national ID card counterfeiting, but it was an isolated incident, he said.
The methods employed in the making of the fake card were crude and it is no cause for concern, he added.
Prosecutors are investigating the sale of the anti-counterfeiting materials on Taobao.com, he said.
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