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Do you know who you’re buying your new car from? (Forcewide) Added - Thursday, 19 May 2005 9:37 Police are urging potential car buyers to double check who they are buying their cars from after a scam was uncovered involving stolen vehicles being offered for sale. Police have been made aware of the problem by a number of people who have come forward when they have discovered the car they have recently bought is actually a stolen vehicle. The vehicles, normally 4x4’s or other high value cars, are advertised in the motoring press, usually at a price well below market value. The sellers will often provide a landline phone number but will only be contactable by mobile phone and will always suggest meeting the potential buyer at somewhere other than their home address. They refuse to take cheques for the cars, only cash, due to ‘problems’ they have had with cheques in the past and although they may supply a log book and registration documents with the vehicle, these are often forged. These vehicles appear to have the correct number plates and Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) but these are merely what appear on the forged documentation. Neither will a routine check against commercially available insurance databases such as HPI reveal any problems as these vehicles are given the identity of legitimate cars from elsewhere in the country. Once the buyer has handed over the cash and taken away the car, the fact that it is stolen has come to light when the car has to be re-taxed or in one case, when the vehicle was re-stolen and recovered by police. Police believe there are many more victims in the area who may be unaware that the vehicle they have bought is stolen. Detective Inspector Simon Crisp, force headquarters, Portishead, said: “From our enquiries with the motoring press, who are working with us, we have identified patterns in several advertisements they have received. This leads us to believe that there could be many more unfortunate victims in the area’’. “We believe that the vehicles are being stolen to order from all over the country and we are working with other forces and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) on this investigation’’. “We are urging anyone who has bought a car in a manner which fits this pattern to come forward and contact police. The more information we have about the sellers may lead us to identify the people stealing these cars and selling them on and stop more people from becoming a victim of crime – either by having their car stolen or being the unwitting receiver of stolen goods. “We are also urging people to take extra care when buying a car privately. There are many checks you can do to ensure that your vehicle is safe, secure and legal. “The amounts of money being passed along are not small amounts, we are talking between £8000 and £35000 – this is a lot of money to be spending on something without taking all the precautions and safety checks you possibly can,” added DI Crisp. Police advice when buying a car is: * Do a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) check against the documentation * Check the chassis/engine number against the documentation * Always go to the home address of the seller – ask to see identification * Try, wherever possible, to speak to the seller on a landline * Don’t pay for the vehicle in cash * Have the car professionally examined, many breakdown companies and insurance companies offer this service * Consider taking a photograph of the seller and the car, including the registration number * Many stolen vehicles are sold at a knock down price, so remember – if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Contact can be made via the secure Crimestoppers contact form > available on the force website www.avonandsomerset.police.uk Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You do not have to give your name and you could receive a reward. Information Courtesy of: Avon and Somerset Constabulary Why
Check the history of your car? Also make sure that there is no outstanding finance on your car.
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