Ukrainian man pleads guilty to running AI-powered fake ID site

Source: Bleeping Computer

Case Summary

A Ukrainian man has pleaded guilty to operating OnlyFake, an AI‑powered website that generated and sold more than 10,000 photos of fake identification documents to customers worldwide.

27‑year‑old Yurii Nazarenko (also known as “John Wick,” “Tor Ford,” and “Uriel Septimberus”) admitted that his OnlyFake subscription‑based platform used artificial intelligence to generate realistic‑looking counterfeit passports, driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards.

“We rely on government issued IDs to combat terrorism, hijackings, fraud, money laundering, and a host of other crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “OnlyFake’s manufacture of fraudulent IDs and other documents puts us all at risk and must be stopped.”
— U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

Platform Capabilities

According to the indictment, OnlyFake allowed customers to generate fake digital versions of:

• U.S. driver’s licenses for all 50 states
• U.S. passports and passport cards
• Identification documents for roughly 56 other countries

Customers could customize the documents with personal details, opt for randomized information, and choose whether the finished product appeared as a scan or a tabletop photograph.

OnlyFake website (Department of Justice)

Law‑Enforcement Findings

New York federal prosecutors said the primary use of these fake digital documents was to circumvent Know Your Customer (KYC) verification requirements at banks and cryptocurrency exchanges—safeguards mandated under the Patriot Act to prevent money laundering.

• Undercover FBI agents made multiple purchases from the OnlyFake website between May and June 2024, obtaining fake New York state IDs, U.S. passports, and a Social Security card.
• OnlyFake accepted only cryptocurrency payments and offered bulk packages of up to 1,000 fake documents at a discount.
• Nazarenko attempted to hide the proceeds by routing cryptocurrency payments through multiple wallets and deleting emails after 404 Media reported on the site in February 2024.

“Yurii Nazarenko developed a website to produce more than 10,000 fake identification documents, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars from these illicit sales,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “This platform offered its clients a myriad of criminal opportunities, including bypassing traditional regulations to launder money.”

Legal Outcome

• Nazarenko was extradited from Romania in September 2025.
• He has agreed to forfeit $1.2 million.
• He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on June 26, 2026.