Hillsboro insurance agent admits illegal sale of driving permits

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is reminding consumers to be cautious of fraud after a recent felony theft case involving a Hillsboro insurance agent. A joint investigation between the Hillsboro Police Department and the division revealed that the agent, Skip Molen, illegally sold international driving permits out of his office.

Molen illegally sold the permits as government-issued driver licenses to more than 200 people for $250 each.

The permits are typically sold in the U.S. for $25 by two authorized distributors – the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance. They are used to translate information from a government-issued driver license while driving in other countries. The permits are not valid for use in the issuing country.

The investigation into the sale of the permits was initiated by Hillsboro Police when a driver presented a permit to an officer during a traffic stop. The driver advised the officer he had purchased the permit from Molen’s agency.

Molen pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft and he was sentenced to 30 days in jail and probation. The division revoked Molen’s insurance license.

“As the state regulator, we work hard to investigate and penalize fraudulent professionals,” said Andrew Stolfi, Oregon insurance commissioner. “We encourage Oregonians to call our advocates any time they have a concern with any of their financial products and services, or the professionals and businesses that provide them.”

The best way to avoid a scam is to ask a lot of relevant questions and contact our advocacy team for help. Our advocates can be reached at 888-877-4894 (toll-free), by email cp.ins@oregon.gov, or by visiting http://dfr.oregon.gov/gethelp/protect-finances/Pages/index.aspx.

To view the final order, go to http://dfr.oregon.gov/AdminOrders/enf-orders-2018/Molen%20Final%20Order%20SSIG.pdf.