Car cloning is one of the latest schemes invented by car thieves to sell stolen vehicles more easily and get away with it. It’s a scheme that involves stealing a car, and taking a vehicle identification number from another vehicle that is similar to the stolen car, which means that it has to be a similar make and model. Then, thieves manufacture a counterfeit VIN tag that they attach to the stolen car, essentially turning it into a “clone”.
You Can’t Legally Own a Stolen Car
If a person purchases a car that has been stolen, they don’t own it legally, which means that they have wasted thousands of dollars on an item that can be confiscated by authorities if they discover that it has been stolen. That’s why consumers need to be very careful when buying a used car and look for various tell-tale signs of a stolen car.
The first thing car buyers should do is check the vehicle identification number (VIN). They can do it on Carfax.com or by contacting the department of motor vehicles, so that they can find out whether the vehicle is actually registered to the person selling the vehicle. If not, it means that the seller is not the car’s legal owner and that it was probably stolen.
Also, they can take a look at the VIN plate that is usually located at the corner of the car’s dashboard, on the driver’s side door post and on the engine block. They should check if the numbers on all three locations match, and make sure there are no signs of attempts to alter or destroy the VIN, such as scratches on the VIN plate.
Check the Title
Then, consumers should ask for the vehicle title, so that they can make sure that the VIN has not been cloned. If the VIN on the title does not match the one that can be found on several locations on the car, it means that the seller has replaced it with a VIN from another vehicle.
As far as what consumers can do if they happen to buy a stolen vehicle, the legal resources that are at their disposal are limited. Since being in possession of a cloned vehicle does not mean that they own it, they can try to establish legal ownership of it, by proving they are entitled to it in a court of law, which is an expensive and time-consuming process.
Also, they can try to sue the seller so that they can get their money back, but to do that, they will first have to track down the person who sold them the car, which is difficult to do without the help of law enforcement. But, if they manage to trace the seller and take them to court, they have a good chance at winning the case and getting their money back.
The bottom line is that those who have purchased a stolen vehicle are basically left in a bind, and they do not have a lot of options for avoiding losing both the car and the money they spent on it.