Car cloning is becoming a major issue in the UK. Car cloning is where someone steals a car, then gives it the identity of another car and sells it.
This means that when you do the data check (also known as an HPI check) the car seems fine. But you have not actually checked the data of the car you are buying. You have checked the data of another car that has not been stolen.
When you try to register as owner of the car the DVLA will show that it is owned by someone else, the Police wil inspect your car and find its real identity - that of a stolen car.
A BBC investigation revealed that one of the causes for a surge in this scam is that a large number of blank DVLA log books were stolen .
So at the moment, it is important that you check the serial number in the V5C document, known as a log book, of the vehicle you want to buy and if it’s included in any of the following ranges, report it to the police as it is likely to be a cloned car using a stolen log book:
- BG9167501 - BG9190500
- BG9190501 - BG9214000
- BG8407501 – BG8431000
- BG9282001 – BG9305000
In addition to using illegally obtained log books, fraudsters can use false number plates or assign a different VIN plate to a car's chassis. All of these things can trick you into thinking you are buying a different car.
In addition to this manual check, you should also still obtain a data check to protect yourself against the car being stolen, writeen off, owing finance and so on.