October 25th 2023.
There has been a worrying increase of a scam known as 'restealing', which leaves unsuspecting second-hand car buyers vulnerable to fraudsters posing as car sellers. This involves criminals stealing the identities of genuine vehicles, which are the same brand, model, and colour, so that when buyers run background checks on the number plate, the details of a legitimate vehicle will be shown.
The motor insurance loss adjustment firm Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) has found that after restealing the vehicle, criminals move onto their next victim using the same car. This scam is repeated in rapid succession to devastating effect, and according to CMA's Managing Director, Philip Swift, a former detective, the majority of cases have occurred in the north of England by specialist gangs.
The crooks also advertise the price of the car far lower than others listed online, and use fake identities and change their addresses frequently. This makes it easy for them to masquerade as another, and they know that technology enables them to do this with relative ease.
Unfortunately, they 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.
The CMA has already developed software which automatically flags anything unusual linked to the vehicle registration marks. This should help to reduce instances of restealing and protect second-hand car buyers from being taken advantage of.
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