A number of Bowling Green residents have been duped into purchasing “International Driver’s Licenses” that are not legal in the United States, said Officer Monica Woods, international communities liaison for the Bowling Green Police Department

“These driver’s licenses are a scam. Some people have been paying as much as $300 to $500 for the licenses,” she said.

The licenses can be purchased online, though there also are people who sell them on street corners – there even have been reports of people traveling as far as Louisville to get one, Woods said.

“The main targets have been international students at Western and undocumented workers,” she said.

Individuals who are in the country legally and are not permanent residents, such as students, can typically drive in the United States using the driver’s license from their home country, she said. If they are pulled over, they should expect to be asked for their home country’s license and proof they are in the country legally.

Bowling Green is not the first area city to have a problem with the fake licenses – Morgantown police used to see many of them during roadblocks, MPD Chief Billy Phelps said.

“We’ve been pretty aggressive about roadblocks and we don’t see nearly as many as we did a year ago,” he said.

People were buying the cards online, then targeting illegal immigrant populations and charging a steep profit – simply placing the immigrant’s picture into the card, Phelps said.

A number of those pulled over with the cards had a difficult time understanding that the international driver’s license is not valid in the United States, he said.

“I feel sorry for a lot of these people; they’re trying to do the right thing and get a legal driver’s license,” Phelps said. “There’s really no process for them to get a legal driver’s license unless they’re here legally.”

There are many Web sites where someone could purchase an international driver’s license – AAA even sells a version, but its permits are not for use in the United States.

Bowling Green police are working to teach people about the scam licenses, Woods said. They have developed a flyer in both English and Spanish to explain the situation, and it will be available at various locations throughout the city. Officers also will have the flyer on hand, to give to those charged for not having a driver’s license.