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OK, as the resident insurance guy I think I need to wade in here.
First of all, your girlfriend did everything right here, unless she had the chance to take a picture of the ID card and didn't. She'd most likely have to get his permission to do that, and if he is a crook, he probably wouldn't have allowed her to do it anyway.
Second, I'm not completely convinced that this guy is a crook. It's entirely possible that she copied down the number incorrectly or he made a mistake. You need to eliminate that possibility before you guys decide to file a claim with her insurance. Fortunately, you can do that fairly easily.
AON is the 2nd largest insurance agents in the world (and they're based about 1/2 mile from here). They have offices all over the country, and my company (including me) deals with almost every office. If you'll tell me where you are (either by PM or here in the thread), I'll be happy to look up the closest office and give you some phone numbers.
When you call AON, they should be able to look up the policy number. You don't need to tell them that you think it's bogus, but be ready for the possibility. Just tell them that you were involved in a minor incident with someone who gave that policy number as proof of coverage and that you need to file a claim. If I understand the story correctly, this guy is some sort of painter, of either the house or car variety. If he's working for someone else (like MAACO for instance), you're just fine. However, if he's a house painter working for himself I can just about assure you that he's not on the up-and-up. AON's business model doesn't allow them to go after the small fry, so you're hoping for some corporation to belong to that policy number.
If AON can't help you, your girlfriend needs to report this to her insurance carrier if she wants the damage fixed. A couple of things about that, though: first, if the damage really is relatively minor, it may be best to just have her pay to fix it herself, especially if she has any sort of sizeable deductible. If she has a $500 deductible and it will cost $200 to fix, then it's not worth the trouble, especially since it could raise her rates, even if she wasn't at fault. Second, it could raise her rates, even if she wasn't at fault. Yes, I know I just repeated myself, but it's worth saying. Even if her insurance ends up tracking the guy down, they could still raise her rates. Almost every state allows that.
One last thing, if this guy is purposefully giving out incorrect information, it's insurance fraud, plain and simple. It's illegal, and he can go to jail.
Let me know how else I can help.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo
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