Birth Certificate - Real or Fake?

Not too long ago there was a story about birth certificates, both real and "fake". The fake birth certificates were sold on the Internet and were meant to be used as gag gifts and jokes. A little further into the story it was mentioned that the "fake" certificate could be ordered and would be an actual certified copy of the certificate.

Huh? If they are indeed fake certificates then what does it mean certified copy? The story went a little further and while some of it really did seem a joke, (showing your parents were really Sonny and Cher or something like that) there were parts of the story that seemed strange.

Anyway, after a little further investigating that site as well as a few others it was difficult to tell exactly what they were offering. While they did make it a bold exclamation as being jokes or fake, there seemed to be an underlying something extra there. A few people that were investigating this type of practice ordered fake birth certificates. There was an extra charge if you wanted to make this a "certified copy" of the birth certificate. They filled out an on-line form that required no real proof of identity, they were free to use whatever name, age, sex or parents they wanted.

Sure enough when these certified copies arrived they looked very certified. They included the raised embossed certified seal as well. As a matter of fact they looked good enough to fool many people. When the "undercover certificate buyers" showed those copies to different agencies they were surprised at the number of them that took it at face value and accepted it as a real birth certificate.

However, when they get caught and yes many, many do get caught they are charged not just with a misdemeanor some may be felonies. Even if you legitimately need and apply for a certified copy of your birth certificate and it happens to be from a company that is less than scrupulous, or already under investigation, you will very likely get caught up in the legal troubles.

If you need a copy of your birth certificate and want to order it on line, be sure to find a reputable company (research them if necessary) to assist you with this. There are legitimate companies that specialize in obtaining things like a certified copy of a birth certificate and it is well worth the effort to find one.