AN ELABORATE ploy targeting used car buyers is leaving motorists across the UK thousands of pounds poorer.
Insurance firms have seen a “worrying increase” in scammers stealing back the very cars they earlier sold their victims – could you be next?
GettyThe number of people falling victim to ‘same car’ scams run by gangs are on the rise[/caption]
Experts say people in the north of England are the most likely to fall victim to the pervasive con where motorists unwittingly purchase a cloned vehicle, only to have it stolen back by the seller days later.
With the car back in their possession, the criminal then sells the same car to their next victim and repeats the trick by stealing it again.
Philip Swift, a former detective turned managing director of CMA – a company of loss adjusters specialising in vehicle-related claims – said the scam was being “repeated in rapid succession to devastating effect” using a range of tactics, This Is Money reports.
He explained that the criminals managed to fool their victims by stealing the information for genuine cars of the same brand, model, and colour as the ones which they were advertising online for sale.
They would then provide the information to prospective buyers so, if they ran background checks, the details of the legitimate vehicles the criminals had stolen data from would be shown, raising no red flags.
The scammers would usually advertise cars for sale at low prices, and via free online sales platforms like Facebook Marketplace, to entice their victims.
And the fraudsters would make note of the buyers’ home addresses, or follow them home, so they could steal it back days after handing over the keys – using a spare or a duplicate key.
Mr Swift said the scams, run by specialist gangs, were becoming increasingly common.
He explained: “We live in an age where technology enables a vehicle masquerading as another – same number plate, apparently correct paperwork – to be discovered with relative ease.
“The criminals know this, so they use fake identities and change their addresses frequently.
The former detective continued: “These unscrupulous crooks leave havoc in their wake, for both the innocent purchasers and the owner of the legitimate vehicle whose identity has been replicated.
“The former will have to explain to their insurance company that their new car has been stolen, which immediately sets alarm bells ringing.
“The latter might be merrily driving along when they are stopped and arrested – because the police understandably, though incorrectly, believe they have found a stolen car; in fact, they have detained a victim of vehicle identity theft.”
How to spot a scam
As reported by This Is Money, they are as follows:
1. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is
2. Use official finance channels, never pay cash
3. Invest in a full vehicle provenance check prior to purchase
4. Check the car’s VIN number. This is commonly stamped into the chassis of a vehicle, usually found in the engine bay or beneath the plastic trim around the driver or passenger door opening. Make sure this coincides with the VIN number of the V5 logbook
5. Consider fitting a tracking device
6. Have your car key reprogrammed by a main dealer, just as you would change the locks when moving into a new house