Attack of the Clones

Tue., March 17, 2015

Jim Gorzelany CTW Features

Misrepresentation in the used car market is apparently reaching new heights - or lows - as consumers are increasingly falling prey to pernicious purveyors of so-called clone cars. Here, car thieves acquire the VIN of similar cars to register stolen ones, usually in other states. Once discovered, law enforcement officers seize the stolen cloned cars and usually leave a swindled owner having to make payments on a vehicle he or she no longer owns. The National Insurance Crime Bureau in Des Plaines, Illinois, cautions used-car buyers to take extra caution when considering a model being offered online or via newspaper classified ads. Be sure to check the vehicle Identification number (also called the VIN) with your state’s department of motor vehicles and/or a vehicle history service like CarFax or the NICB’s own VINCheck before signing a sales contract. And be sure to trust your instincts - if a used vehicle deal sounds “too good to be true,” it usually is.

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