Car cloning - a form of identity fraud

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Barry Stamp

23 November 2011

In a double whammy, identity thieves are now targeting our cars as well as our wallets.

As we've reported previously, the recession has contributed to a rise in identity fraud as fraudsters attempt to exploit consumers with good credit ratings in order to open - and empty - new credit accounts in their name.

More recently, the number of vehicles that are stolen, given new identities, and then sold on to unsuspecting motorists has also been on the increase.

Cloning a car's identity is just one of the tactics employed by criminals. There are an estimated 10,000 cloned cars on Britain's roads. As well as being used in serious crimes, cloned vehicles are often given the identity of a similar, legitimate car from the local area, before being sold on.

Unlike financial identity fraud, where prosecution is as rare as rocking horse droppings, there have been some succesful crime-busting going on. In 2009 police busted a criminal gang who had stolen dozens of cars worth over £2 million.

The vehicle registration document, known as the V5, as well as the Vehicle Identification Number - the VIN - (printed on the chassis and sometimes visible through the windscreen) can also be forged - making clones very tough to spot if you are buying a second-hand car. But you can take steps to protect yourself by ensuring that you carry out a check before you hand over any cash.

Mycarcheck offers a quick and inexpensive service that lets you check the history of a vehicle before you buy it, including a check to make sure it is not on the Police Lost and Stolen Register - improving your chances of spotting a dodgy deal.

Financial identity theft continues to be a much bigger problem but is thankfully rare.

Prevention rather than cure is very much the name of the game when it comes to identity fraud. By making sure that you take steps to protect yourself wherever possible, you can reduce your chances of falling victim. Our handbook Identity Theft - Prevention and Victim Assistance explains all about the true extent of identity fraud and is packed with advice on how to stay safe. It is available at the discounted price of £4.99 here. Or, if you have a Kindle, you can download the latest 2011 edition from the Amazon bookstore for less than £1.

You can also get a free assessment of how at risk you are by using our Identity Theft Check Service - which will help highlight which areas of your lifestyle might make you vulnerable.

Finally, for true peace of mind you can monitor your credit files for signs of unusual activity with checkmyfile. Keeping an eye on your credit files from all three agencies costs just £8.99 per month after a free 30 day trial - the UK's most comprehensive reports at the lowest prices. Click here to find out more.