Thread: Nebraska warns of fake licenses being sold to illegal immig

Nebraska warns of fake licenses being sold to illegal immigrants
OSKAR GARCIA

State officials in Nebraska were warning Monday of a scheme to sell fake driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, under the promise that the documents will let people legally drive, buy and sell cars.

The Houston-based company has taken out ads in newspapers and distributed fliers to Hispanic businesses in Omaha, Grand Island and Lincoln, offering so-called international licenses and state ID cards for about $200, Angel Freytez of the Nebraska Mexican American Commission said.

Private companies do not sell documents that grant legal driving privileges in the United States, and people who buy them can be arrested if they present them to authorities during traffic stops, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The company was registered under an assumed name in Harris County, Texas, and was doing business as Centro de Identificaciones, Inc. A telephone message left with the company by The Associated Press was not returned.

It was not clear how many people actually bought the documents from the company, but other companies that have made similar claims have sold to thousands of immigrants willing to jump at the chance for any type of legal documentation.

“We see these so-called ‘fantasy documents’ or … ‘novelty documents’ fairly frequently,â€

They function as an official translation of a U.S. driver's license into 10 foreign languages. These licenses are not intended to replace valid U.S. state licenses and should only be used as a supplement to a valid license. IDPs are not valid in an individual’s country of residence.

To apply for an international driving permit, you must be at least age 18, and you will need to present two passport-size photographs and your valid U.S. license. The cost of an international driving permit from these U.S. State Department-authorized organizations is under $20.00.

INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMITS ISSUED BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS:

The Department of State is aware that IDPs are being sold over the Internet and in person by persons not authorized by the Department of State pursuant to the requirements of the U.N. Convention of 1949. Moreover, many of these IDPs are being sold for large sums of money, far greater than the sum charged by entities authorized by the Department of State. Consumers experiencing problems should report problems to their local office of the U.S. Postal Inspector, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Better Business Bureau, or their state or local Attorney General’s Office.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/saf ... _1179.html

ONLY AAA or AATA through the National Auto CLub are authorized to issue these IDPs in the US. Foreign nationals can only get the IDPs in their country of origin and they are valid for one year.

Mexican site:
http://www.ana.com.mx/ Incidentally, Mexico requires more forms of ID than we do. If you need a translation of Mexican IDPs, let me know and I can do.