CAR CLONING | | Different cars - matching number plates |
A new type of car crime is hitting the north. Police have seen a rise in so called "car cloning". Criminals are stealing a car and then changing the identity of it to make it look legal before they sell it on, netting thousands of pounds. Cloning is done when criminals find an exact match of the car they stole and then copy the identity of a legitimate car onto it - therefore making it look legal. Gangs in the North East are making thousands of pounds from this new type of crime.
"There is so much money to be made." Nigel Wilkinson, Northumbria Police.
Not only is the car cloning problem escalating, it is proving extremely difficult to police. To buy legal registration plates for your car, you need your log book, driver's licence and proof of address. Yet plates sold for show use or off road use can now be bought on the internet or over the phone and no documentation is required. With no proof needed, any registration number can be ordered meaning any car can be partly cloned. The car can then be sold on by criminals who rack up parking fines, speeding tickets and more importantly, use them to commit crimes.
False numbers
Car cloning is based on getting hold of false number plates. Inside Out's investigation shows this is easier to do then you'd like to imagine. Number plates can be bought over the Internet. For example, a website based in Ireland is able to provide plates of any licence without documentation because it is outside of UK law. Inside Out's Chris Jackson bought some number plates over the Internet to prove how easy it is to do. And the Internet isn't the only way to get around the law in England. The law is different in Scotland where you don't need any ID or documents to buy number plates. Victims of cloning Gillian Headon and her husband were conned out of 拢24,000 when they bought a four wheel drive that had been cloned. "The stress was terrible," she says. "We are just hard working working class people. To think that someone has done this to us is devastating. "We've never been involved in anything like this, and to be involved as an innocent victim was terrible." The couple were lucky on this occasion though - they got their money back from the insurers. For the criminals they can make thousands of pounds from car cloning in just one sale. There's also evidence that the money goes back into fuelling more organised crime as serious as drug dealing, people trafficking and even terrorism. Time for action So what is being done to stop cloning? One solution may be the introduction of number plates that hold electronic information about the vehicle. The Drivers and Vehicle Licence Agency (DVLA) are also aware of this problem and are investigating what can be done. But until something happens, it's still relatively easy for car criminals to exploit the law. The advice from the Police to car owners is simple - if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Advice for buyers | Advice | |
Advice to anyone considering purchasing a used car privately: Always have sight of the registration document V5 prior to purchasing a used vehicle. Be satisfied that the seller owns the vehicle or is entitled to offer it for sale.
Ask the seller for proof of identity.
View the vehicle at the address shown on the registration document.
Check the vehicle identification number (VIN) - sometimes called the chassis number - corresponds with the number on the registration document.
This number can usually be found on a metal plate under the bonnet.
If you have limited knowledge of vehicles take an experienced person with you.
Be wary of handing over cash to someone who has been contacted through a mobile number.
Check if the vehicle has been seriously damaged, notified as stolen or is subject to outstanding finance.
The following companies provide this service for a fee - Carwatch UK Limited (Vehicle History Check) - 0870 010 7899*, Experian (Car Data Check) - 0870 6000 838* and HPI Limited - 01722 422 422.
If anyone is offered a vehicle for sale accompanied by one of the stolen registration documents, you should contact the police immediately. Source: DVLA |
Car buyers can also follow some basic advice from the DVLA. The DVLA recently issued a warning to purchasers of used vehicles. They advised buyers to be particularly vigilant when checking the V5 registration document (logbook) accompanying vehicles. The Agency has recently become aware that suspected blank registration documents, destined for destruction, have been stolen. To date at least 20 documents have been used to accompany the sale of stolen cars which have had their identities changed to match those of legitimate or written off vehicles. Police investigations are ongoing, but early indications are that several hundred of these documents may be in circulation. Whilst it is not possible to be precise about the serial numbers of each of the stolen documents, they do fall into the following categories: (a) Those bearing the prefix AP in their serial number (at the top left hand corner of document) and falling within the following ranges: AP 8022601 to AP 8024400
AP 9424801 to AP 9426600
AP 9430201 to AP 9432000
AP 9435601 to AP 9437400
AP 9448201 to AP 9450000
AP 9435601 to AP 9437400 In some cases the document reference number at the bottom right hand corner of the form may be missing. (b) Those bearing the prefix AN fall within the following ranges: AN 8854201 to AN 8856000
AN 8857801 to AN 8859600
AN 8856001 to AN 8857800 These are faulty documents which, on close examination, will bear a serial number in slightly lighter print than the rest of the document. The serial number may also be out of alignment. These serial numbers were duplicated by the printer after the faulty batch was rejected and so there will also be genuine registration documents in circulation bearing these numbers. Helpline If you want to check whether the document you are holding is genuine, ring DVLA's helpline on 0870 241 1878. | 
听听Inside Out - North East: Monday January 31, 2005