Plate Cloned

[VTECMatt]

After a bit of advice, my plate on one only cars has been cloned. I'm up to 7 parking and road tickets this year so far. Each time I am having to send evidence that I am not in that location, same council.

What can I do? Bradford council are useless and unhelpful, Police not interested.

Thanks

Matt

[speedking31]

Speed everywhere, enjoy the freedom

[anonymous-user]

Ask DVLA for new licence number. I guess you have informed police etc. Another option is to buy a cheap private plate, as the DVLA are useless, same thing happened to me but I sold the car.

[Agila b 6yr 6k]

VTECMatt said:

After a bit of advice, my plate on one only cars has been cloned. I'm up to 7 parking and road tickets this year so far. Each time I am having to send evidence that I am not in that location, same council.

What can I do? Bradford council are useless and unhelpful, Police not interested.

Thanks

Matt

The police should definitely be interested. Possibly a stolen car driving round with your cloned plates on etc. They should activate anpr to stop it. This may mean you get stopped until the dodgy car is found. Make a further complaint to the police.

[Reciprocating mass]

Post the question on the local police twitter page

[Bigends]

Police should place a marker on PNC but thats about as much as they will do at this time

[Alextodrive]

Whenever I see something like the police are completely uninterested, I often find myself a little bemused as I've had to deal with them a few times and have yet to have an experience like that. Not that I dont believe you, it just seems at complete odds with my experiences.

I also had my plates cloned a couple of years ago. Responded to the tickets with evidence it wasnt me, called the police up on 101, gave them the info, they logged the numberplate on ANPR and I had the info of someone I could speak to with a crime reference number, to get an update from in a few weeks / months if I needed.

I called the DVLA, sent them a cover letter with info from the police and proof showing it wasnt my car. New numberplate with V5C was issued within just over a week from memory.

It caused a headache with tax as I was in the process of selling the car at the time, but otherwise it was easy and straightforward to fix with no expense to me other than having to get new plates made up for about £25-30.

[VTECMatt]

Didn't know I can apply for new plates, will report again to the police, last time it felt like a tick box exercise.

[JamesBryan88]

Put a big coloured sticker in the top corner of your front and rear windscreen.

Then report it to the police and let them know what colour you have put on, they will note this on the system.

This will distinguish your car from the false one.

I've seen this recommended by police before.

[speedking31]

Just remember to take the sticker off when you want to blast past the cameras.

[martinbiz]

VTECMatt said:

After a bit of advice, my plate on one only cars has been cloned. I'm up to 7 parking and road tickets this year so far. Each time I am having to send evidence that I am not in that location, same council.

What can I do? Bradford council are useless and unhelpful, Police not interested.

Thanks

Matt

I’m struggling with the police not being interested ,They were very helpful when my nephew’s car got cloned.
OP do you have any photo evidence with the tickets, is the car actually the same model/colour as yours? Why are you sending them evidence that you weren’t there? Not being in the location is irrelevant, any evidence is the fact it’s not your car in the pictures and you also don’t have to prove anything to them

[Bigends]

If its established that a vehicle has been used on cloned plates to avoid parking / speeding fines then its down to the authority that is out of pocket to report the fraud. The OP isnt out of pocket or the victim of crime - just the inconvenience of having to contact the council.
Police wont do any more than place a marker against the registration number on the off chance that the clone vehicle gets stopped.

[twing]

Mine was done in 2018 (parked in a hotel carpark for two weeks while I was abroad). Received one ticket for Dartford toll, rang Police, they were really helpful, got reference number and that was that. The photo they provided was awful in black and white so couldn't see that it was blue or even the shocking whites stripes from front to back.

[martinbiz]

twing said:

Mine was done in 2018 (parked in a hotel carpark for two weeks while I was abroad). Received one ticket for Dartford toll, rang Police, they were really helpful, got reference number and that was that. The photo they provided was awful in black and white so couldn't see that it was blue or even the shocking whites stripes from front to back.

This

[CRA1G]

I've had this happen a few times over the years,I've just filled in and returned the intended prosecution letter along with a photo of my car and not heard any more....

[Roboticarm]

Happened to a mate of mine, he got sick of getting pulled over so bought a £250 private plate from dvla

[iDrive]

Bigends said:

If its established that a vehicle has been used on cloned plates to avoid parking / speeding fines then its down to the authority that is out of pocket to report the fraud. The OP isnt out of pocket or the victim of crime - just the inconvenience of having to contact the council.
Police wont do any more than place a marker against the registration number on the off chance that the clone vehicle gets stopped.

Do you say that from being in the Police and knowing it or as your opinion?

[Mandalore]

A £250 random plate is another option,

Agreed that you shouldn’t have to spend money, but you will stop further tickets and you can always sell it on later.

[Bigends]

iDrive said:

Bigends said:

If its established that a vehicle has been used on cloned plates to avoid parking / speeding fines then its down to the authority that is out of pocket to report the fraud. The OP isnt out of pocket or the victim of crime - just the inconvenience of having to contact the council.
Police wont do any more than place a marker against the registration number on the off chance that the clone vehicle gets stopped.

Do you say that from being in the Police and knowing it or as your opinion?

Retired cop and crime manager - used to review these for a living. Theres a similar example in the crime recording rules.

[VTECMatt]

A little update and thank you to everyone's suggestions.

I contacted the Police who on this occasion were really helpful, they have put a marker on the Registration plate, which I can confirm is in operation as been pulled over. I have no issue with this.

Since my last post I have received 3 more tickets for parking, whilst I appreciate I'm not out of pocket, I'm not at home much so having to type a letter, photos of car, proof of where I was on said day then send signed for delivery is a total pita.

It wouldn't be a huge effort to search via dvla for the same car in that area as all issues relate to one town so chances are it is based local, guessing some sort of problem getting this information. Would be handy if I could search the database.