Need a phony tax form or bank statement? Too bad. Judge nixes fake docs on man’s site

An Oregon man ran out of excuses Tuesday when a judge shuttered his website where he sold fake documents to help people commit fraud and identity theft.

Less than a day later, noveltyexcuses.com was up again — minus the offending documents, and plus a lot more typical gag-store fare.

Steven Simmons and his Beaverton company, Integrated Flight Solutions, ran the website, which said it sold fake, but passable bank statements, tax forms, car insurance cards and other documents.

The website, which was started in 2013 according to court documents, said the documents were “for entertainment purposes only,” but the Federal Trade Commission had a decidedly different view.

The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection — no relation to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — sued Simmons and his company last week.

In its complaint, the bureau said that Simmons had been “selling financial, identity, and medical documents, including pay stubs, auto insurance cards, utility and cable bills, doctor’s excuses, and medical absence reports.”

All for $20 a pop.

The bureau said in its complaint that Simmons might have called the documents fake, but in advertising they looked like the genuine article.

That included not putting down any watermarks or other notifications on the papers themselves that they were phonies.

“We’re a great alternative to illegal document mills, and the ‘do it yourself’ attempts that are not worth the paper they’re printed on,” the website told customers, according to the bureau.

The bureau argued that Simmons’ products were practically tailor-made to help identity thieves and other fraudsters, adding that the fake documents could “cause substantial injury to consumers that consumers cannot reasonably avoid themselves.”

In its complaint, the bureau asked U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman to shut down the website and pay legal fees — normal stuff for a lot of court cases.

Mosman did that, and a whole lot more, in an order dated Tuesday.

The permanent injunction says that Simmons and anyone associated with him has to give up the means of producing the fake documents.

He also has to give anyone he starts or manages a business with a copy of the order, which lays out the facts of the case and confirms Simmons acknowledges them.

Then, for the next 20 years, Simmons has to create and hold onto his accounting, personnel and compliance documents, all of which have to be copied to the court and the bureau.

The FTC told the Oregonian in a news release that Simmons agreed to the prohibitions and restrictions.

However, the injunction left open the possibility that Simmons could restore his website and keep selling gags and gifts.

Simmons apparently took advantage of that possibility Thursday, when his site was restored.

The products for sale now look like typical gag stuff, including a fake eject button for your car, robotic fish, and a “sweet cheeks” bench cushion.

“Unfortunately, the fact is it only takes one person to misuse our novelty forms for reasons they were not intended that ruin it for everyone,” the website states in a note on its homepage.

The note also calls the injunction “an agreement with the FTC.”

Simmons also owes the FTC $15,000, according to the order. It’s money that the order states will be used to pay out victims of Simmons’ business.

The settlement was suspended because Simmons produced bank statements showing he hasn’t got money to pay, the order states.

If investigators find out Simmons lied about his own bank statements, he will get slapped with the whole amount, due immediately.

The Oregonian reported that Simmons wasn’t available for comment.