Used car buyers warned to make certain vehicle was not stolen

BOSTON – The federal government’s cash-for-clunkers program may prove ideal for shoppers buying a new car, but millions of other motorists are in the market for a used vehicle – hopefully one with a clean property title rather than one stolen and sold with a phony set of serial numbers.The Better Business Bureau (BBB) in New England notes that more families today are trying to stretch their dollars by purchasing a used car, a demand that is also spiking the number of stolen cars on the market. Law enforcement authorities are simultaneously reporting an increase in the cloning of vehicle identification numbers (VIN).According to Paula Fleming, spokeswoman for the regional BBB, used cars shoppers should do their research before signing a contract and unknowingly buying a stolen car. After all, nearly 4 million used cars were purchased in May 2009, up 23 percent over April.”It’s a reflection of our current economy. At the same time, new car sales are down 34 percent,” she said, explaining that VIN cloning is a popular scam that plagues used car buyers. Criminals use auto identity theft to unload stolen cars.According to the most recent numbers from CARFAX, as many as 225,000 of the 1.5 million cars stolen every year have been subjected to VIN cloning. “VIN cloning has two victims,” said Fleming. “The first is the victim who had their car stolen, and the second is the unsuspecting buyer because, when the police track down the stolen car, they’re going to give it back to the rightful owner and the new owner will suddenly have no car or a way to get his or her money back.” A car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN number, is a unique number that serves as a way to recognize a specific car. The number is also used by law enforcement to track down and flag stolen cars. For this reason, car thieves will “clone” a stolen car’s VIN number to match that of a car that isn’t stolen. Sometimes the thieves will punch out a new VIN and replace the stolen vehicle’s dash VIN with the new one or they use computer technology to print out authentic looking documents with phony VINs.The last step is selling the vehicle, usually through classified ads or other informal methods. Some altered vehicles end up in auctions, sold through classifieds or on unsuspecting used car lots. When police are able to track down stolen cars they will seize the car from the buyer and there is usually little recourse for the unsuspecting buyer to get his or her money back.The BBB recommends taking the following steps to avoid becoming a victim of VIN cloning: Be extremely cautious if you see a late model luxury car or SUV selling significantly under normal market price; Do not fall for the “we need cash quickly” excuse; Exercise due diligence. Check the VIN number on the dashboard, inside the door jamb and under the hood against the car’s title documents for discrepancies; Closely examine the car’s title, registration and other documents. Fake documents sometimes contain misspelled words. Potential buyers with questions about the validity of the vehicle’s VIN shold obtain a comprehensive vehicle history report. “If you believe your car has been cloned – one giveaway according to the FBI is if you receive a notice for unpaid parking tickets – contact your local law enforcement,” she said.