<p>I said "silly, at best" and my word choice was deliberate. Some scores can be sent for free and the cost is minimal in any case. So that leaves us to wonder if the articulated rationale is the true one. I guess I was being too subtle.</p>
<p>If someone was hoping to forge scores, denying it on an anonymous board would hardly give him pause. Perhaps you haven't seen all the "I'm not planning on lying on my applications -- I'm just wondering if there is any way for colleges to catch people who do" threads.</p>
<p>In any event, apparently all US schools we know of do require official score reports, so the OP has his answer whatever his motivation in asking.</p>