Illegal Immigrant License Fraud Increases

From kasa.com - New Mexico’s appeal to foreign criminals eager to exploit a state law allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses is increasing. However, state investigators are trying to blunt that trend by using new tools to track the license requests and identify possible fraud before the licenses can be issued. “This problem is only growing bigger by the day,” said Alvan Romero, who heads up a team of fraud investigators for the state’s Taxation and Revenue Department. That department oversees the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division.  According to a breakdown of phone numbers gathered during the application process, 37 percent of the 16,000 requests received between August 2010 and April 2011 came from out-of-state. Most came from Arizona, Georgia, and Texas.  “That simply tells me that something’s going on,” Romero said. “It’s a total red flag.” Another breakdown shows some phone numbers used dozens of times to make appointments. One New Mexico number was used 228 times. A phone number with an Arizona area code was used 24 times. A similar list shows the same pattern with New Mexico addresses. One address in Albuquerque was used more than 70 times in the application process.  More News New Mexico

Illegal Immigrant License Fraud Increases