Last updated on July 21st, 2025 at 04:46 pm
Not all ID scanner apps are created equal, and some might be giving you a false sense of security when it comes to spotting fakes.
The market for ID scanning apps has exploded in recent years, with dozens of options promising to quickly verify identity and detect fake IDs using just a smartphone. But as fake IDs become more sophisticated, and increasingly available online, many of these apps fail to keep up.
Businesses relying on free or low-cost solutions may be putting themselves at serious risk, unknowingly accepting fraudulent IDs that slip past simple checks. We tested the most popular ID scanning apps available in the Apple App Store to separate truly effective fake ID scanners from those that simply look like they’re working.
Our Fake ID Scanner App Testing Approach
We tested 36 known fake IDs against 10 different ID scanner apps. We also tested two underage IDs and two expired IDs as controls to ensure the apps did, at least, verify age and expiration status. The apps included in the trial were:
- Vemos
- Scannr
- GET Mobile Verify
- ID Scanner
- ScandIt
- ID Scanner Professional
- Check ID Scanner
- ID Verify Scan
- VeriScan
- VeriScan Remote Identity Verification
- VeriScan ID Authentication
In addition to evaluating VeriScan solutions, we revisited five ID scanning apps tested in previous years to assess year-over-year performance. Three of those apps were no longer available on the App Store, so we replaced them with three newer apps that have either launched recently or gained significant traction over the past year.
Interested in seeing past comparison results? Check out our tests from last year.
Our full results are below, in order from least to most effective at catching fake IDs.
How well does Vemos catch fake IDs?
Vemos did not catch any of the known fake IDs tested, both during this year and last year’s testing. Vemos is not a fake ID detector; it simply verifies the age on the ID. Vemos did perform age verification and expiration status checks, but did not perform any barcode validation to catch fake IDs.
Vemos allows for 10 free trial scans before account creation is required for a two-week free trial. After the trial, Vemos is $79/ month.
Vemos is a US-based company that specializes in venue management and makes several apps for small and medium-sized entertainment venues. Vemos is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Vemos overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: 0%
Pros of Vemos ID Scanner App
- The Vemos app is free
- The camera identifies the barcode and starts scanning relatively easily
- The Vemos app detects and flags expired IDs
Cons of Vemos ID Scanner App
- The Vemos user interface is not very intuitive
- The Vemos app’s history only includes basic information like name and age, with no option to add notes or comments
- The Vemos ID scanner app does not catch fake IDs.
How well does Scannr catch fake IDs?
Scannr is an age verification app, and specifies in their app store description that they do not detect fake IDs. This was clear in our testing, as Scannr did not detect any fake IDs. The app did accurately verify age, although the default accepted age is 18, so businesses selling age-restricted products like alcohol or tobacco must be sure to change this setting.
Scannr also offers the option to flag expired IDs, but this setting is not on by default and must be toggled on. There are some visitor management features available in the paid version of Scannr, such as age and gender demographics.
Scannr is a paid solution, but offers a trial of five free scans. Scannr’s subscriptions are $14.99/month or $39.99/year.
Scannr is a Croatian-based company that specializes in ID scanning and visitor management. The app maker, Infinum, also makes Productive.io Agency Software. Although based in the EU, Scannr only works on US and Canadian IDs. Scannr is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
The largest issue we found with the Scanner app was that it repeatedly struggled to focus on barcodes, even in a well-lit environment, making scanning difficult and time-consuming.
Scannr overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: 0%
Pros of Scannr ID Scanner App
- The Scanner app has a modern user interface
- Scanner has the option to change age limit
- The Scannr app does catch expired IDs, but this is a setting that must be toggled on
Cons of Scannr ID Scanner App
- Scannr has difficulty recognizing and scanning barcodes
- No detailed history is available in the Scannr app
- The Scannr ID scanner app does not catch any fake IDs
How well does Check ID Scanner catch fake IDs?
Although Check ID Scanner claims to offer ID verification, it did not catch any of the fake IDs tested. While the app did verify age and expiration date, it did not do any barcode validation to flag fraudulent IDs.
Check ID Scanner offers 5 free scans per day or unlimited scanning for a one-time fee of $10.
Check ID Scanner is developed by Apparent Logic, an app development and design company based in San Francisco, CA.
Check ID Scanner overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: This was the first time we tested our known fake IDs with this app.
Pros of Check ID Scanner ID Scanner App
- The Check ID Scanner app offers customizable age thresholds
- Guest data can be exported with Check ID Scanner
- Check ID Scanner flags expired IDs
Cons of Check ID Scanner ID Scanner App
- Check ID Scanner did not catch any of the fake IDs tested
- The Check ID Scanner app’s history only includes basic information, with no option to add notes or comments
- Check ID Scanner’s claim of ID verification may lend a false sense of security to businesses
How well does ID Scanner Professional catch fake IDs?
The ID Scanner Professional app failed to catch any fake IDs tested. The app offers detailed scan results, but marked an ID as valid, even when the first name could not be read. This error in the barcode should be a clear indication the ID is fraudulent, but it was marked as “Valid” when scanned. Five of the IDs tested were “unreadable,” but there was no indication that the IDs were fake as opposed to damaged or dirty.
ID Scanner Professional is available for free and offers a paid tier with access to added features for $14.99/week or $99.99/year.
ID Scanner Professional is developed by Kupertino Labs, headquartered in Istanbul. Kupertino Labs offers 18 apps in addition to their ID scanner, although most are not related to identity verification.
ID Scanner Professional overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: This was the first time we tested our known fake IDs with this app.
Pros of ID Scanner Professional App
- ID Scanner Professional verifies ID expiration date
- Users can filter and sort visitor history in ID Scanner Professional
- ID Scanner Professional offers basic visitor management tools
Cons of ID Scanner Professional App
- Check ID Scanner did not catch any fake IDs
- Users have reported difficulty canceling subscriptions to Check ID Scanner when they were unhappy with the app
- Check ID Scanner’s claim of ID verification may lend a false sense of security to businesses
- The Check ID Scanner app has a lot of pop-ups
How well does ID Verify Scan catch fake IDs?
The ID Verify Scan app did not catch any of the known fake IDs tested. It did verify age and expiration date, and while the app claims to verify IDs, its description of the verification is simply age verification, as opposed to barcode checks that would flag fake IDs.
ID Verify Scan offers a demo mode for free, which only includes age verification. Features like visitor management and payment acceptance via Square are available for $9.99.
ID Verify Scan is developed by Elden Lords, LLC, which is headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. Elden Lords also offers a tip calculator app on the Apple App store.
ID Verify Scan overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: This was the first time we tested our known fake IDs with this app.
Pros of ID Verify Scan App
- ID Verify Scan offers some visitor management features
- The ID Verify Scan app is integrated with Square to accept payments
- ID Verify Scan catches expired IDs
Cons of ID Verify Scan Verify ID Scanner App
- ID Verify Scan did not catch any fake IDs
- Users of ID Verify Scan have reported issues with the app’s interface
How well does GETMobile Verify catch fake IDs?
GET Mobile Verify did not catch any of the known fake IDs tested. GET Mobile Verify verified age and expiration status, but did not seem to perform even basic barcode validation to catch fake IDs.
GET Mobile Verify’s user interface is not built for rapid ID scanning, requiring users to press “close” and “read physical card” after each scan.
GET Mobile Verify is built by UAE-based company GET Group Holdings. GET Group Holdings is best known for managing identity verification and ID scanning in the security, healthcare, and transportation industries, and as makers of the Utah mobile ID. GetMobile Verify is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
GET Mobile Verify overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: 0%
Pros of Get Mobile Verify ID Scanner App
- The GET Mobile Verify app is free
- The GET Mobile Verify app is compatible with some mobile IDs allowing for mobile ID acceptance – specifically built for use with the Utah mobile ID
- GET Mobile Verify flags expired IDs
Cons of GET Mobile Verify Verify ID Scanner App
- GET Mobile Verify did not catch any fake IDs
- GET Mobile Verify users have reported some issues with non-Utah mobile ID reading
- The GET Mobile Verify app struggles to read dirty or damaged ID barcodes
How well does IDScanner catch fake IDs?
ID Scanner failed to catch any of the fake IDs tested. While it verifies age, it does not seem to perform even basic barcode validation to catch fake IDs. The ID Scanner app is also the only app tested that failed to flag both expired IDs tested; it only marked one of the two as expired.
ID Scanner is built by App Sub 1, LLC. This app developer also makes several other customer-facing applications. ID Scanner is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It is one of the most popular and most heavily reviewed ID scanning applications.
ID Scanner overall fake ID detection performance: 0%
Performance change year-over-year: 0%
Pros of ID Scanner App
- The ID Scanner app is free
- ID Scanner’s user interface is intuitive and easy to master
Cons of ID Scanner App
- ID Scanner did not catch any fake IDs
- ID Scanner has a high rate of false positives
- The ID Scanner app only flagged one of the two expired IDs tested
How well does ScandIt catch fake IDs?
Scandit performs some basic ID security, catching 4 of the 36 fake IDs tested. While the app verifies age and expiration date, it did pass the vast majority of fake IDs. Scandit’s performance has improved slightly from last year’s test, where it caught only 3 of the 36 IDs tested.
Unlike most ID scanning apps, Scandit verifies documents by requiring both a barcode scan and a picture of the front of the ID. Age verification is available through barcode-only scanning. Theoretically, this should improve the app’s efficacy in catching fraudulent IDs by allowing for data cross-matching, but it doesn’t appear this feature has any effect on the app’s fake ID detection.
Scandit performs some barcode security, allowing them to catch some fake IDs. But they let through the vast majority, and for age verification purposes are mostly checking the age on the ID against today’s date. They caught only 3 of our known fake IDs. This was a substantial decrease in their efficacy versus their performance when we last tested their fake ID scanner app.
Scandit is a Swiss-based company that specializes in barcode and QR code scanning and has a large customer base of major retailers such as Sephora, Carrefour, Instacart, and 7-Eleven. Scandit is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Scandit overall fake ID detection performance: 12.5%
Performance change year-over-year: 56.3% increase
Pros of Scandit App
- The Scandit app can also scan barcodes for use in retail and warehousing, making it a multipurpose tool
- The Scandit app does catch some fake IDs
- Scandit has REAL ID detection
Cons of Scandit App
- Scandit’s user interface is very busy and not ideal for users looking to only scan IDs.
- Scandit does not offer scan history
- The majority of fake IDs were accepted by Scandit
How well does VeriScan Mobile App catch fake IDs?
To ensure a true competitive analysis, we included our own app solution, VeriScan Mobile, in the evaluation. VeriScan Mobile uses advanced 2D barcode security checks to catch fake IDs, while simultaneously verifying age and expiration status. Our ability to catch fake IDs with an app-based solution, relying solely on 2D barcode verification, allows us to offer unlimited scanning for a low monthly rate while catching substantially more fake IDs than other apps.
Our barcode security checks flagged the majority of the tested IDs as fake, only missing more advanced fraudulent IDs.
VeriScan Mobile overall fake ID detection performance: 69.4%
Performance change year-over-year: 3.6%
How well does VeriScan Remote ID Verification catch fake IDs?
We tested our robust Remote ID Verification (RIV) solution against our set of fake IDs and caught 100%. This solution was able to catch all fake IDs because it uses a combination of security checks to ensure the ID is legitimate.
Like the VeriScan Mobile app, RIV performs 2D barcode validation, which reliably catches 55-60% of fake IDs. RIV is able to detect additional fake IDs by using images of both sides of the ID, which allows for additional template checks and front/back data crossmatching.
As a final layer of security, RIV validates the data from the ID against trusted third party databases. This final step is able to catch even the most advanced fake IDs.
VeriScan Remote ID Verification overall fake ID detection performance: 100%
How well does VeriScan Authentication catch fake IDs?
In addition to testing the known fake IDs with our VeriScan Mobile app and Remote Identity Verification engine, we tested against VeriScan Authentication. VeriScan ID Authentication is not a mobile app; it relies on a Windows computer and an ID authentication-capable hardware scanner. For our testing, we used the E-Seek M500.
ID authentication runs the ID through a series of light checks, UV, IR, and white light. Under each of these light types, different ID security features become visible. These security features are then compared to a database of known security features for each ID template. This AI-powered authentication process allows for much deeper analysis, and as a result catches the vast majority of fakes, including highly sophisticated and expensive foreign-made fake IDs.
Only 2 known fake IDs passed authentication, staying consistent with last year’s performance of a 95% fake ID catch rate.
VeriScan Authentication overall fake ID detection performance: 95%
Performance change year-over-year: 0%
Summary of Findings
Of the ten apps tested, seven of them did not catch a single fake ID. These apps include:
- Vemos
- Scannr
- Check ID Scanner
- ID Scanner Professional
- ID Verify Scan
- GETMobile Verify
- ID Scanner
One app, Scandit, performed slightly better when tested, catching about 13% of fake IDs.
The app that caught by far the most fake IDs of any in our trial, with 67% is the VeriScan Mobile App. To ensure your business maintains compliance and catches fake IDs, it is recommended to use VeriScan, the most reliable mobile app currently on the market.
Don’t let a weak ID scanner put your business at risk
VeriScan offers the strongest ID verification solutions, with a range of options to ensure every business can verify identity. The VeriScan Mobile app is available for lower-risk, in per-son businesses. Remote ID Verification enables strong ID verification for high-risk, remote businesses, and VeriScan Authentication is available for in-person, high-risk ID fraud prevention.
In an age of AI-generated fake IDs and rapidly evolving fraud tactics, relying on basic scanning apps or barcode-only checks is no longer enough. To truly protect your business and comply with identity verification laws, you need a solution that uses advanced authentication methods—including template matching, algorithmic analysis, and tamper detection. It’s time to upgrade from “good enough” and invest in ID scanning technology that actually catches fake IDs, before they become your liability.