Every car has a Vehicle Identification Number or VIN that is unique for each car.  Scammers are taking photos of the VIN number which can be found just below the windshield on the driver’s side of a car that is the same make, model and year of a car that the scammers have stolen and then make a new metallic VIN plate with the cloned number and swap it out for the VIN number of the car the stolen car.  They then offer their stolen car for sale.  In December of 2019, Meril Bauter responded to an ad for a 2019 Toyota 4Runner on Facebook Marketplace.  The scammer sent the VIN number which Ms. Bauter used to do a VIN search and a Carfax search and everything checked out fine even though the actual car was a stolen car whose real VIN had been removed.  She then paid $40,000 in cash to the scammer and registered her car.  It wasn’t until three years later that the scam was discovered and the car was seized by law enforcement due to its being a stolen car.  Fortunately, Farmers Insurance, Bauter’s automobile insurance company paid her claim.

So how do you protect yourself from being a victim of VIN cloning?

TIPS

The VIN number is found not only on the dashboard by the windshield, but also in the front door.  Make sure they both match. Also, run your finger over the VIN plate and look for signs that the VIN plate may have been switched.  You also should compare the VIN number to the VIN number that appears on the Title and all other documents that relate to the car.  It is also important to get a Carfax or other vehicle history report on the vehicle and review it carefully for any discrepancies.  This scam often doesn’t involve cars that are the exact make model and year of the stolen car.  Additionally, you should have a mechanic inspect any used car you are considering buying for indications that it is not as represented.

Trust me, you can’t trust anyone.

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