Car cloning: Number plates being sold without legal checks
By David Quinn and the 大象传媒 Rip Off Britain team
Sellers listed on Amazon and eBay are supplying vehicle number plates without making the proper checks required by law, an investigation by the 大象传媒’s Rip Off Britain has found.
The findings suggest it would be straightforward for buyers to use the sellers to facilitate car number plate cloning – a type of identity fraud where criminals accumulate motoring fines, while innocent vehicle owners are held liable.
The scam works by fooling automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, which are used to catch drivers who don’t pay tolls or the appropriate low emission zone charges in certain areas.
By putting a genuine number plate on to a different vehicle of the same make, model and colour, the original vehicle’s owner – rather than the driver of the cloned vehicle – ends up with the fine.
Both Amazon and eBay told Rip Off Britain they were investigating the sellers and would take appropriate action.
Watch the full report on Rip Off Britain on Thursday 9 January 10:45 on 大象传媒 One, and afterwards on 大象传媒 iPlayer
No identification
Under current legislation, all sellers of number plates in the UK must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Sellers must request identification showing a buyer’s name and address, as well as their entitlement to use the plate - such as a ‘V5’ vehicle logbook, new keeper slip or vehicle tax renewal reminder.
The rules are designed to help prevent the installation of false number plates on vehicles, which could allow them to be used in crimes including car number plate cloning.
To see whether identification checks were being carried out, the programme’s researchers selected three third-party sellers on Amazon and three on eBay to order the same number plate belonging to a member of the production team, without providing any of the ID required by law.
In all six cases, number plates were received without any of the documents being provided. One of the sellers initially requested identification before supplying the number plate anyway, without the programme team sending it.
Two of the six plates arrived within 48 hours, while the other four were delivered within 7 days.
As well as highlighting weaknesses in rules on the sale of number plates, the investigation by Rip Off Britain has led to calls for the rules on identifying cars prior to the issuing of motoring fines to be changed.
Motoring journalist Abigayle Andre told the programme: “Anybody could clone a number plate, but they shouldn't be able to. I think what's really important is that the police, the DVLA and the government need to come together and find another solution other than a number plate to identify cars.”
Victims count car cloning costs
In many cases, drivers aren’t aware their car’s number plate has been cloned until fine notices are received in the post.
The programme featured the story of Peter from Berkshire, who received 17 penalty charge notices over the space of five weeks, totalling £2,170.
The fines were for driving in London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone without paying the relevant charge, despite never having driven in the areas where the fines were levied. It emerged the number plate on Peter’s Volkswagen had been cloned without his knowledge – forcing him to appeal to have the penalties cancelled.
A separate 大象传媒 London investigation in August 2024 found evidence that car cloning is sharply on the rise in the capital.
A freedom of information request sent to all London councils revealed a 64% surge in car cloning leading to fines being cancelled over three years. It found the number of cases rose from 22,450 in 2021 to 36,794 in 2023. Overall fines issued went up by 20% over the same period.
Abigayle advised Rip Off Britain viewers that to help ensure a successful appeal against incorrect fines, drivers could consider adopting technology like a vehicle tracker or dashcam to prove the real vehicle was elsewhere.
Fines for sellers
Anyone selling a number plate without being DVLA registered can be fined up to £5,000, while registered businesses selling plates without keeping the proper records can be fined up to £1,000.
The DVLA confirmed all six sellers identified by Rip Off Britain were DVLA registered and it may now take action to ensure they are operating within the law.
It added: “DVLA is committed to ensuring all number plates are displayed correctly and legally. We work with the police and Trading Standards to take action against suppliers who do not comply with the law.
“A legitimate supplier will always ask to see ID and entitlement documents before selling a number plate. Where this doesn’t happen, members of the public can report this directly to DVLA or to their local Trading Standards.”
A spokesperson for eBay told the programme: “We take this issue seriously and have policies in place for the sale of number plates, which must comply with the Vehicle (Crime) Act 2001.
“Sellers are required to be registered with the DVLA and to request proof of identification before fulfilling orders. We take appropriate action against any sellers reported by authorities who fail to comply. eBay’s Regulatory Portal allows authorities to report non-compliant listings that are then swiftly removed.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We require all products in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations. While the sellers in question are registered number plate suppliers with the DVLA, we make them aware of the additional requirements that may apply when selling these products and we are investigating further.
“Amazon is committed to ensuring a trustworthy shopping experience, and if customers ever have questions or concerns about an item they’ve purchased we encourage them to contact our customer service team.”
