Where getting your drink on and identity theft collide

Like many teenagers, fourteen Sarasota Springs, NY teenagers wanted to get their hands on some beer. But they put themselves at risk for identity theft to do so. That's definitely not the kind of buzz they were looking for.

The teenagers allegedly supplied their photos, Social Security numbers and $75.00 to a website in China for extremely realistic looking fake IDs. I knew China was winning the trade war, but exporting fake IDs? Come on.

While the teenagers face misdemeanor charges and public ridicule for being boneheads, their identities have also been sold to identity thieves, according to authorities. One of the teens was quoted as saying "Dude." It is unknown whether any of the teens responded "sweet" but I would not be surprised.

And the Chinese website was not just selling your daddy's version of a fake ID. These would not just fool a bouncer or gas station clerk, but, according to authorities, were good enough to fool police, border patrol and airport security. Some of them even had magnetic strips that could be swept in card readers and holograms visible under a black light. Not too shabby for $75 bucks. How much is that in yen? No wonder China is winning the trade war if even the fake IDs they sell our kids are technologically superior.

The kids involved should start monitoring their credit reports often since they are definitely at a high risk for identity theft. If they don't, they will be crying "Dude, where's my credit?"