WARNING! Phishing attempts - V5 log book

[john-x0d00]

If you get an enquiry about your car for sale (generally email) and they ask for reg number and chassis number, then ask for V5 doc number and date of issue,- DONT GIVE IT OUT.
Criminals will use it to obtain a V5 for your car, presumably to make it easy to clone a stolen identical one and sell it. All anyone needs for hpi etc is reg number and chassis number can be compared with physical car when viewing. V5 info is gold dust to criminals so never give ref numbers etc from it or share picture of it.
So , you obviously have a nicked car like mine somewhere? Well the Police and Action fraud are on to you.
Anyone selling a car getting requests for such info - string them along - try to get other info from them (phone etc) but DONT GIVE THEM TRUE INFO. Tell the Police and Action fraud straight away. You might help someone get their car back or save someone innocently buying a stolen one.
They think they're clever and untraceable but when the right team gets into them - they are not!

Moderator edit due to N&S

Edited by Scrump on Friday 26th July 15:18

[Butter Face]

I’m pretty sure that the HPI guarantee is only valid if you supply the V5 details. That’s likely why they wanted it.

You DON’T need the V5 reference number to request a V5, you can just fill in a V62 and request one. Doesn’t mean you’ll get one.

[john-x0d00]

No it allows them access to dvla systems for online transfer of ownership etc.
Anyone requesting such info and refusing other means of knowing who they are e.g phone number are highly suspect. Verification of their identity as genuine buyers is essential before they get the v5.

[Liamjrhodes]

Not sure why you would give out information such as chassis number and V5 number anyway. Just a small amount of common sense will tell you that buyers have no need for that information until you have the money in your hand

[Sa Calobra]

Two posts history..

[Elesmart]

Sa Calobra said:

Two posts history..

Jumped up to 84 now..

[Scrump]

Liamjrhodes said:

Not sure why you would give out information such as chassis number and V5 number anyway. Just a small amount of common sense will tell you that buyers have no need for that information until you have the money in your hand

The V5 info and chassis number are inputs into the full hpi check. They check to see that the V5 reference is the latest issue and also that the chassis number given matches the number plate.
Many buyers will want to do these checks before they have handed over the money, possibly even before they have travelled to see the car.

[Alpinestars]

Butter Face said:

I’m pretty sure that the HPI guarantee is only valid if you supply the V5 details. That’s likely why they wanted it.

You DON’T need the V5 reference number to request a V5, you can just fill in a V62 and request one. Doesn’t mean you’ll get one.

The difference is that DVLA contact the current owner to confirm that they’ve sold the car.

[bobtail4x4]

then they still give out a new V5,

a few years ago 2 weeks after a landrover show, dvla wrote saying someone had applied for the V5 on my tax exempt Range Rover.
wrote back saying still had it and sent photos,
next year when I came to tax it, they said I didnt own it anymore??
lots of arguing over the phone and a copy of my V5 sent

new V5 came back with the date I bought the car changed by one day.

[Alpinestars]

bobtail4x4 said:

then they still give out a new V5,

a few years ago 2 weeks after a landrover show, dvla wrote saying someone had applied for the V5 on my tax exempt Range Rover.
wrote back saying still had it and sent photos,
next year when I came to tax it, they said I didnt own it anymore??
lots of arguing over the phone and a copy of my V5 sent

new V5 came back with the date I bought the car changed by one day.

That’s not my experience. DVLA informed the police of a potential fraudulent claim to the V5/car.

[boyse7en]

Scrump said:

Liamjrhodes said:

Not sure why you would give out information such as chassis number and V5 number anyway. Just a small amount of common sense will tell you that buyers have no need for that information until you have the money in your hand

The V5 info and chassis number are inputs into the full hpi check. They check to see that the V5 reference is the latest issue and also that the chassis number given matches the number plate.
Many buyers will want to do these checks before they have handed over the money, possibly even before they have travelled to see the car.

Precisely. We did this for a car we were looking at and the plate/chassis number didn't correspond. Chassis number was for sam model of car, but a different colour and different engine spec.

[john-x0d00]

Its all well and good if you are in the final stages of selling the car. The checks on v5 / Hpi can be done before parting with money. But when the first 4 questions by email are for this info - I think it is obviously suspicious. If you are happy that you know who you are dealing with, at the right point - let them make enquiries using the V5 info. But to hand it out to an anonymous person who signed up for an email address 5 minutes before is irresponsible.
There can only be a handful of reasons why someone needs the V5 info anonymously - all of them criminal. The Hpi guarantee allows for v5 doc info to be added later. It cannot ever be justified as ‘being needed’ at initial enquiry stage from random anonymous email address.