It may well occur to anybody with out warning
Greater than 50,000 UK drivers have fallen sufferer to automobile cloning, with contemporary knowledge revealing a 41% rise in instances over the previous 5 years – and automobile consultants are actually warning the disaster is spiralling. If you do not know what automobile cloning is, let me clarify.
I can do that as a result of it occurred to me. Again in 2020, I put my 2001 VW Golf GTI up on the market on Fb. It wasn’t an costly automobile, to be sincere I am unable to recall how a lot I caught it up for, however it was undoubtedly lower than a grand.
I did the same old factor, wrote an outline, took some photos and posted it. As a information reporter of fairly some years, I would by no means understood why folks would get irritated if the web site or newspaper I used to be working for posted or printed an image that included automobile registration numbers. On any given day, your automobile reg is probably going seen by dozens of individuals when you’re driving round, in any case.
However after what occurred 5 years in the past, I instantly acquired it. Now, it was 5 years in the past and I could also be misremembering the sequence of occasions somewhat, however that is the gist of it.
I am undecided if I obtained the primary high quality earlier than or after I put the automobile up on the market, as I would most likely posted a pic or two of the automobile on Fb in some unspecified time in the future earlier than. Anyway, I do recall that it ruined my Saturday morning.
Within the submit got here a letter addressed to me. After I opened it, some vibrant language emerged from my mouth once I found I used to be being accused of getting used the Dartford Crossing between Kent and Essex with out paying.
This was daft for 2 causes – one, I stay in Cornwall and hadn’t been wherever close to the place. Second, on the time, I consider the cost was one thing like £2.50 – hardly one thing value risking a high quality for.
I studied the accompanying picture. Pictured was certainly a silver VW Golf, bearing the identical quantity plate. However on nearer inspection there have been just a few delicate variations. The wheels, for one, have been completely different to the alloys on my automobile. There have been additionally just a few issues just like the bumpers having black trim, whereas mine had the identical as the remainder of the automobile – silver.
I would by no means heard of this apply of automobile cloning – however a fast search on-line enlightened me. Clearly some unsavoury folks like to go looking on-line for a automobile after which whack cloned plates on a really comparable one and drive round merrily doing no matter naughty issues they need to do – reminiscent of evading £2.50 tolls – to their coronary heart’s content material. Some may even bodily steal your precise quantity plates after which do the identical factor.
On-line information additionally prompt I wanted to do two issues – contact the police after which the toll-issuing authority. I did simply that and, a lot to my shock, the police name handler was totally acquainted with the scenario. They took my particulars, famous the visible variations between my automobile and the automobile that had been caught, and made a be aware on my automobile’s file.
This meant that if police caught a automobile with my registration driving alongside outdoors of Cornwall, the place it was registered to me, it could be flagged up on the Police Nationwide Laptop and it could be pulled over. The motive force would then want to supply proof of possession – one thing I might simply do.
The useful police name handler then suggested me to inform the toll-issuing authority that I would contacted police and it would be confirmed that the plates had been cloned. I did that and the high quality was cancelled. All good.
However then it occurred once more. This time, I had a letter by means of the submit telling me my silver Golf had been parking in Luton someplace with out paying and I had a high quality to settle. I repeated the method and the high quality was once more cancelled.
In the long run, the inconvenience to me was pretty minimal, if annoying all the identical. I went on to promote the automobile and – guess what – not lengthy afterwards, the brand new proprietor contacted me to say he was getting fines by means of the submit. I advised him what he wanted to do to type it.
Nevertheless, issues might have been extra critical. Valuation specialists at BigWantsYourCar.com, a car-buying platform, say the crime will not be solely damaging harmless motorists’ funds and reputations, but additionally undermining belief in car possession techniques.
“Automotive cloning is quick turning into one of the vital distressing points dealing with peculiar drivers,” a spokesperson at BigWantsYourCar.com defined. “We’ve seen instances the place folks promoting their automobile are instantly coping with surprising fines or insurance coverage disputes, all as a result of another person illegally copied their quantity plate.”
Criminals usually use cloned plates to commit additional crimes – together with stealing gasoline from petrol stations, evading tolls, and even fleeing accident scenes. Victims are sometimes left at the hours of darkness till they obtain fines or letters from police, a lot of whom do not know their car particulars have been compromised.
“We urge the DVLA to evaluate how quantity plates are distributed and tracked,” the spokesperson continued. “Presently, regardless that sellers should examine ID and logbook particulars, enforcement is patchy, and rogue suppliers are slipping by means of the cracks.”
Homeowners of BMWs, VWs and Mercedes warned
BigWantsYourCar.com additionally warned that cloning disproportionately impacts drivers who personal high-demand vehicles reminiscent of German makes or premium SUVs, that are ceaselessly cloned by criminals seeking to keep away from detection.
“We’d advise drivers of standard fashions just like the BMW 3 Sequence, VW Golf, or Mercedes GLA to be particularly cautious,” the knowledgeable stated. “These are among the many mostly cloned autos as a result of they’re in all places – and that makes it simpler for a cloned model to mix in.”
When shopping for or promoting a automobile, the consultants stated it was essential to examine for something that appears off – together with mismatched paperwork, suspicious plate bolts, or uncommon latest site visitors fines.
They stated: “If you happen to’re excited about promoting your automobile, be sure all the pieces matches up – particularly your logbook and registration historical past. If we ever suspect one thing throughout a valuation, we’ll all the time elevate it with the shopper – and we suggest folks do their very own due diligence too.”
The right way to stop your automobile from being cloned
The corporate additionally recommends that drivers take easy preventative steps, reminiscent of:
- Reporting any misplaced or stolen quantity plates instantly
- Utilizing anti-theft quantity plate screws
- Frequently checking their car report on the DVLA web site
- Holding a log of any uncommon fines or driving correspondence
The knowledgeable stated: “The worst half is how rapidly this situation can snowball. One cloned plate can result in police letters, insurance coverage claims, even blacklisting from gasoline stations – all to somebody who’s performed nothing unsuitable.”
Because the variety of incidents continues to rise, the staff at BigWantsYourCar.com is urging policymakers to crack down on unlawful plate suppliers and work towards a safer, digital identification system for UK autos: “Till the system adjustments, vigilance is the one actual safety drivers have. We have to see harder penalties for dodgy plate sellers and a modernised strategy to automobile identification. Harmless motorists shouldn’t be paying the value for felony loopholes.”
