The character Fogell AKA McLovin gets his fake ID checked in the movie Superbad.

The character Fogell AKA McLovin gets his fake ID checked in the movie Superbad. Supplied

UNDER-age fraudsters are paying up to $300 to have their new Queensland identification altered with tattoo guns.

A Sunshine Coast bottleshop attendant said the masterminds behind the falsified IDs were making it harder to tell the discrepancies.

He said teenagers as young as 14 were hiring the conmen to alter their date of birth - sometimes to eight years above their actual age.

"These fake IDs are getting out of hand and it's getting harder and harder to tell what is real and what is not," the attendant, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

"In some cases they have lifted the plastic to ink out the last number on the date of birth, but in other cases they have tattooed straight over the top.

"The flash from the camera on the licence is evident when the laminae has been replaced. When using the LED light you can clearly see the previous year.

"But if you didn't know what you were looking for, you would probably miss it."

The "sophisticated" and "secure" form of licence started making its way into Queenslanders' wallets in late 2010.

The new cards were said to be more secure and extremely hard to tamper with or duplicate.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the department was aware of several cases of fraudulently altered driver licences and adult proof of age cards.

The bottleshop attendant said he had never seen the problem so bad.

"It's getting out of hand," he said.

He said under-age people told him 'a friend' changed the licence for up to $300.

BE AWARE

What the IDs are being changed to

1998 to 1993

1997 to 1991

1998 to 1993

1999 to 1992