BBB Advises Used Car Shoppers to Beware of VIN Cloned Automobiles
Austin TX July 22 2009 - As more families look to stretch their dollar buying a used car instead of new is increasingly popular. Unfortunately some law enforcement are reporting that VIN cloningwhich targets used car buyersis on the rise and Better Business Bureau advises car buyers to do their research or they could unknowingly purchase a stolen car.
Nearly 4 million used cars were purchased in May up 23 percent over April according to CNW research. As a reflection of our current economy at the same time new car sales are down 34 percent. One scam that specifically plagues used car buyers is VIN cloning which is essentially auto identity theft used by car thieves to unload stolen cars. According to the most recent numbers from CARFAX as many as 225000 of the 1.5 million cars stolen every year have been subjected to VIN cloning.
Unlike most scams VIN cloning has two victims" said Carrie A. Hurt President and CEO of BBB serving Central Coastal and Southwest Texas. The first is the victim who had their car stolen and the second is the unsuspecting buyer. When the police track down the stolen car theyre going to give it back to the rightful owner and the new owner will suddenly have no car or a way to get his or her money back."
A cars vehicle identification number or VIN number is a unique number that serves as a way to recognize a specific car. The number is also used by law enforcement to track down and flag stolen cars. For this reason car thieves will clone" a stolen cars VIN number to match that of a car that isnt stolen.
Sometimes the thieves will punch out a new VIN and replace the stolen vehicles dash VIN with the new one or they use computer technology to print out authentic looking documents with phony VINs. The last step is selling the vehicle usually through classified ads or other informal methods. When police are able to track down stolen cars they will seize the car from the buyer and there is usually little recourse for the unsuspecting buyer to get his or her money back.
BBB recommends taking the following steps to avoid becoming a victim of VIN cloning:
Be extremely cautious if you see a late model luxury car or SUV selling significantly under normal market price.
Do not fall for the we need cash quickly" excuse.
Check the VIN number on the dashboard inside the door jamb and under the hood against the cars title documents for discrepancies.
Closely examine the cars title registration and other documents. Fake documents sometimes contain misspelled words.
If you still have questions about the validity of the vehicles VIN obtain a comprehensive vehicle history report.
If you believe your car has been clonedone giveaway according to the FBI is if you receive a notice for unpaid parking ticketscontact your local law enforcement.
For more advice on shopping for a new or used car visit
www.bbb.org.
