Vehicle Cloning

Me and my story featured on KMSP, Fox 9 News in the summer of 2006.

Vehicle "cloning" is very common unfortunately. And this doesn't just happen on eBay or the Internet, it can happen anywhere and to anyone. Carfax will not protect you, neither will eBay. This mess cost me almost $20,000 out of my pocket. Because of what happened to me, I will NEVER buy another vehicle from a private party, only a licensed and bonded dealership.

Before you buy your next vehicle, check and double check for matching VIN numbers on the vehicles body, frame, and VIN plate. If your lucky enough to deal with a stupid thief, they will have forgotten to change all of the VIN locations and you can catch it before you spend your hard earned money. If they're professionals, there may not be any way to tell! And when the authorities catch on and locate the vehicle, you will have it taken away, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Buyers beware. This can happen to anyone.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• ebay
• motors
• VIN
• carfax
• vehicle
• clone
• cloning
• car
• truck
• SUV
• stolen
• identity
• title
• duplicate
• theft
• KMSP

[doctorh2005]

@TheHPICheck

How do you know that?

[64TbirdLandau]

this is theft of a vehicle by the pigs

[64TbirdLandau]

these are the kinda things that make hate the police

[teamdoggie]

The VIN number shows up in several places on a vehicle. It is important to know where else on the car it is located and make sure they all match.

[shoobedoorocketship]

I think you may have to check what state/province or region you are in for the vin laws, not sure how its done overseas.

was looking at another clip that gave different laws-you cant remove the vin on the dash, but you can cover. i am not buying that the dealers didnt know. car theives would have to move these cars in multiples, not one by one. the dealerships muct be in on it.

[persebra]

hide your vin with a brochure or something, folks

[TheHPICheck]

This is a huge problem in the UK too!

[gman2000]

I guess the best way to be sure is, take down the VIN number before you put any money down, go to your local PD and have them run it, just say your interested in buying this or that car and was wondering if the VIN checks out.

[bigb386]

You can get real titles with fake vins to put on the cars. some titles come from legitimite places  real paper stock

[gman2000]

Actually, unless a private party seller can sucessfully reproduce a secure document such as a State's vehicle title, inlcluding all watermarks and woven strips (like we have here in NJ) it's impossible to get taken. Here in NJ, you can't purchase a car without a title from a private party seller, it's always been that way, no ifS, andS or butS. I don't know what crappy title system they have in the rest of the country. You can't just go into DMV here and get a title for any VIN.