How to catch a cloned plate scammer?
Discussion
My plates have been cloned and the scumbag responsible seems to be racking up parking tickets, speeding fines and other naughty behaviour. My car is also ULEZ exempt and theirs isn’t (as it’s a diesel) and all tickets so far are in ULEZ areas, so there’s ULEZ evasion, too…
Anyone know what information would make the police/DVLA/councils act more quickly/robustly on this? If they had the VIN for the car on false plates, would that make any difference?
Would they even do anything if they knew the location of the car?
I’m mostly venting here, but idly wondering what would stop people like this getting away with this type of stuff…
Anyone know what information would make the police/DVLA/councils act more quickly/robustly on this? If they had the VIN for the car on false plates, would that make any difference?
Would they even do anything if they knew the location of the car?
I’m mostly venting here, but idly wondering what would stop people like this getting away with this type of stuff…
You would need to report the cloning to the Police, for them to put a marker on your registration record to make ANPR ping. It would also ping when your car went past.
If you put a cheap cherished number on your car, you'd still need to report the original cloned number to the Police, for a marker to be put on, as ANPR doesn't ping numbers without a record.
If you put a cheap cherished number on your car, you'd still need to report the original cloned number to the Police, for a marker to be put on, as ANPR doesn't ping numbers without a record.
RoVoFob said:
My plates have been cloned and the scumbag responsible seems to be racking up parking tickets, speeding fines and other naughty behaviour. My car is also ULEZ exempt and theirs isn’t (as it’s a diesel) and all tickets so far are in ULEZ areas, so there’s ULEZ evasion, too…
Anyone know what information would make the police/DVLA/councils act more quickly/robustly on this? If they had the VIN for the car on false plates, would that make any difference?
Would they even do anything if they knew the location of the car?
So, after a little sleuthing, I’ve found the car with cloned plates, have the location, VIN, new plates it’s now on and have confirmed that they’ve cloned someone else’s car and have the new clonee’s contact details, as their car is up for sale. Is all policing stuff this easy? Anyone know what information would make the police/DVLA/councils act more quickly/robustly on this? If they had the VIN for the car on false plates, would that make any difference?
Would they even do anything if they knew the location of the car?
Can the DVLA track the owner/establish what the plates should be from the VIN?
Maybe this self-solving thread is some payback to the PH gods for my endless, lumbering ‘Recommend-me-a-car-that’s-exactly-like-an-Audi-S4-but-isn’t-an-Audi-S4’ posts
Edited by RoVoFob on Tuesday 20th June 01:25
RoVoFob said:
RoVoFob said:
My plates have been cloned and the scumbag responsible seems to be racking up parking tickets, speeding fines and other naughty behaviour. My car is also ULEZ exempt and theirs isn’t (as it’s a diesel) and all tickets so far are in ULEZ areas, so there’s ULEZ evasion, too…
Anyone know what information would make the police/DVLA/councils act more quickly/robustly on this? If they had the VIN for the car on false plates, would that make any difference?
Would they even do anything if they knew the location of the car?
So, after a little sleuthing, I’ve found the car with cloned plates, have the location, VIN, new plates it’s now on and have confirmed that they’ve cloned someone else’s car and have the new clonee’s contact details, as their car is up for sale. Is all policing stuff this easy? Anyone know what information would make the police/DVLA/councils act more quickly/robustly on this? If they had the VIN for the car on false plates, would that make any difference?
Would they even do anything if they knew the location of the car?
Can the DVLA track the owner/establish what the plates should be from the VIN?
Maybe this self-solving thread is some payback to the PH gods for my endless, lumbering ‘Recommend-me-a-car-that’s-exactly-like-an-Audi-S4-but-isn’t-an-Audi-S4’ posts
Edited by RoVoFob on Tuesday 20th June 01:25
Geertsen said:
How have you done that!? That’s pretty good going
Received three residents’ parking tickets from two areas that were close together, following two driving offences within five miles or so. Assumed that the residents’ parking location was pretty near to where the scammer lived, so went to have a look.Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
RoVoFob said:
Received three residents’ parking tickets from two areas that were close together, following two driving offences within five miles or so. Assumed that the residents’ parking location was pretty near to where the scammer lived, so went to have a look.
Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
I'd be tempted to go back later that night and stick a nail in each of the tyres...Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
Zetec-S said:
RoVoFob said:
Received three residents’ parking tickets from two areas that were close together, following two driving offences within five miles or so. Assumed that the residents’ parking location was pretty near to where the scammer lived, so went to have a look.
Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
I'd be tempted to go back later that night and stick a nail in each of the tyres...Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
RoVoFob said:
Geertsen said:
How have you done that!? That’s pretty good going
Received three residents’ parking tickets from two areas that were close together, following two driving offences within five miles or so. Assumed that the residents’ parking location was pretty near to where the scammer lived, so went to have a look.Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
This sort of thing will just carry on because there doesn’t seem to be any consequences does there. The police are so overstretched in urban areas that they wouldn’t even do what you’ve done. And the person doing the cloning is just constantly changing plates by the sound of it and causing people like yourself a lot of inconvenience. At the risk of scaremongering, I wonder if they’ll go back to your plate at any point? ...seen as they already have the plates made up.
RoVoFob said:
Received three residents’ parking tickets from two areas that were close together, following two driving offences within five miles or so. Assumed that the residents’ parking location was pretty near to where the scammer lived, so went to have a look.
Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
Good work!Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
vikingaero said:
Zetec-S said:
RoVoFob said:
Received three residents’ parking tickets from two areas that were close together, following two driving offences within five miles or so. Assumed that the residents’ parking location was pretty near to where the scammer lived, so went to have a look.
Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
I'd be tempted to go back later that night and stick a nail in each of the tyres...Found a car with the same distinctive damage as the one pictured in the fines sent to me, saw it had several parking tickets on the windscreen, a new number plate and knew where the VIN plate was, as it was visible on the fine pics, though not legible.
So, grabbed a pic of the new reg and VIN plate and assumed that they had stolen a plate from a similar car on Autotrader, as mine is currently up for sale and imagine that’s where they got the plate from. And bingo, there’s another similar car with the plate they’ve cloned. Will be giving them a call later and letting them know their car’s been cloned, if they’re not already aware…
andyA700 said:
I don't know how to solve the problems of cloned plates, but I do know there have been around a dozen thefts of plates over the past few months in my large village.
Actual physical plates being stolen? I find this weird. The criminals are then opening themselves up to easy-to-prove theft claims, surely…I am about to confess something that only my childhood best mate knows
When we around the age of 10, we went down our street and switched the number plates on about 20 cars. Some were still wrong a couple of years later, especially where the model and colour were the same - I recall Hillman Avenger in white x 2 and brown Ford Cortina x 2 that took a while to notice
When we around the age of 10, we went down our street and switched the number plates on about 20 cars. Some were still wrong a couple of years later, especially where the model and colour were the same - I recall Hillman Avenger in white x 2 and brown Ford Cortina x 2 that took a while to notice
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