The Complete Guide to Age Verification: How Minors Try to Bypass It

Age restrictions exist for a reason, but many platforms continue to rely on outdated verification methods that do little to keep underage users out. Between online marketplaces and social apps to gaming and streaming platforms, minors continue to access content and services that are meant for adults because they are skilled at bypassing surface-level checks. With regulations tightening globally, the need for reliable, technology-driven age verification has become a top priority for any business operating in a regulated space.

At Shufti, we’ve analyzed thousands of attempted fraud cases to understand how minors try to beat the system that’s designed to protect them. Here are some of the tactics they use, and why businesses must adopt stronger, smarter solutions to stay compliant and protect their platform.

What Is Digital Age Verification?

Digital age verification is a process that allows companies operating in industries such as cannabis, online dating, and gambling to utilize AI, biometric analysis, and document authentication to accurately confirm a user’s age during onboarding. Unlike self-reported information, AI-driven systems assess if the presented ID is genuine, if the user matches the ID, and if the session shows signs of tampering or fraud.

Age verification has become a legal requirement across much of the world, with regulations such as the GDPR’s Age-Appropriate Design Code, the KJM guidelines in Germany, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States. Businesses that fail to comply with any of these regulations risk fines as well as significant reputational damage.

The Top 5 Ways Minors Try to Beat Age Verification

1. Using Parents’ ID Documents

One of the most common tactics involves minors submitting a parent’s or older sibling’s government-issued ID during onboarding. Systems that are too permissive will accept the ID at face value and permit the minor access to the platform. However, Shufti’s solution requires a selfie from the user and cross-references it with the ID photo, utilizing liveness detection, image distortion analysis, and biometric analysis. This makes it essentially impossible for a minor to successfully impersonate an adult.

2. Using Parents’ Credit or Debit Cards

Payment verification alone is never sufficient in confirming a user’s age. We’ve documented many cases when minors attempted to gain access to gaming and e-commerce platforms by using their parent’s debit or credit cards to bypass verification. AI-powered solutions enable these attempts to be stopped before access is granted by detecting mismatches between the cardholder’s information and the user’s biometric data.

3. Entering a False Date of Birth

Research has consistently shown that nearly half of all teens are willing to admit that they have provided false information to gain access to restricted platforms, with the actual total being undoubtedly much higher. Any system that relies on self-reported age is vulnerable by design. Robust verification instead checks government-issued documents and matches them to the user’s live identity, effectively removing the ability to “fake” a date of birth.

4. Clicking Through Checkboxes and CAPTCHAs

Checkboxes that ask users to confirm they are over 18, or CAPTCHAs intended to block bots, are woefully ineffective age barriers and kids will almost always check the box without hesitation. Without requiring document validation and liveness verification, these methods exist merely as security theater and the illusion of compliance.

5. Bypassing Through NSFW URL Modifications

Ever since some platforms, such as YouTube, attempted to block minors from accessing age-gated content, URL manipulation has become much more prevalent. By adding “NSFW” to certain URLs, age blocks can be avoided and adult content can be easily accessed. However, on platforms that use true digital age verification are able to block content until real, verified age confirmation occurs, rendering URL manipulation useless.

Smarter Age Verification Starts with AI

Traditional verification methods can’t keep up with today’s tech-savvy youths. Platforms require dynamic, AI-driven solutions that can verify documents, match biometrics, and confirm liveness all in real time. 

Luckily, Shufti delivers exactly that. Our age verification system authenticates IDs from over 240 countries, supporting more than 10,000 document types in 150+ languages, and can identify document tampering within seconds. With 98.67% accuracy and verification times under 10 seconds, businesses can protect their platforms without creating friction for their end-users.

Fully compliant with international youth standards, including KJM certification in Germany, Shufti helps global companies meet strict regulations while keeping minors safe.

Final Thoughts

Age verification is no longer a box to tick, it’s a critical barrier between minors and content or services they’re not meant to access for their own safety. As fraud tactics evolve, so must the tools created to stop them. Using AI-leveraged verification, businesses can stay ahead of underage users, meet global compliance standards, and build safer, more responsible platforms.