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Car cloning is a type of vehicle identity theft. It involves another car having an identical registration number to your vehicle. Any driving or parking offences committed by the other driver will be linked back to you.
There has been an increase in cloned cars over the past few years, as drivers try to avoid paying congestion charges, penalty charge notices (PCNs) and penalties for driving polluting cars in clean air zones.
Thieves might either physically steal your number plates and then attach them to another car or simply make a note of your registration and get fake plates made up.
Although your car being cloned won’t usually affect your car insurance, it can lead to other issues.
This guide will explain how automobiles are cloned, how to determine whether yours has been cloned and how to avoid buying a cloned vehicle.
Car cloning is when another vehicle is driving around with the same registration number as yours. The other vehicle will usually be the same make, model and colour as yours. The other automobile might have been stolen or written off and repaired.
Cloned cars usually have a clean history with up-to-date MOT, tax and insurance. Vehicles with a clean history are less likely to be flagged by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.
Why do thieves clone cars? It could be to get out of paying penalties for traffic or parking offences or for driving in clean air or congestion zones. They might also use the cloned car to commit crimes such as drive-offs from petrol stations or robberies.
Crimes and traffic offences committed with stolen registration plates will lead the police and other authorities back to the car’s legal owner.
Some gangs clone cars and sell them to unsuspecting buyers. These criminals might also create a fake V5C logbook and change the vehicle identification number (VIN) by replacing car parts featuring that identifier.
Car owners are generally unaware their vehicle has been cloned until they receive fines or penalties for offences they didn’t commit or a visit from the police.
There are two main ways criminals clone cars.
The first is when culprits physically steal registration plates and then attach them to another car of the same make and model. So, if you suddenly realise your number plates are missing, this could be the reason.
However, it’s much easier for thieves to search classified adverts, car showrooms or the internet for a vehicle of the same make, model and colour as the one they intend to clone. Once they’ve noted the registration number, they can get identical plates made.
Legally, you can only get a number plate made up from a supplier registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). A legitimate supplier will want to see original documents that prove your name and address and show you can use the registration number.
However, a loophole in the legislation allows companies to sell so-called “show plates” without any checks.
If your car is inexplicably missing its number plates, it may have been cloned. If this happens, you should contact the police and the DVLA to let them know your vehicle may have been cloned.
In most car cloning cases, duplicate plates are made up rather than the original plates stolen. You probably won’t realise your car has been cloned until you’re contacted about a traffic offence or crime associated with your registration number.
For example, you might receive a “notice of intended prosecution” for speeding or a PCN for driving through a low-traffic neighbourhood or committing a parking offence. You might also get a fine for driving through a congestion or low-emission zone without paying.
If you receive a PCN or letter about speeding, check the time, date and location before paying. If you’re sure that you or anyone else who drives your automobile wasn’t responsible, then it’s likely your car has been cloned.
If the criminals commit more serious offences with the cloned car, you may receive a visit from the police or be pulled over by officers while driving.
Another indication that your car has been cloned is if you check its MOT online and the dates don’t match up with when you last had an MOT (some cloned cars are taken for an MOT by the criminal).
If you think your car’s been cloned, contact the police. They’ll investigate and give you a crime reference number.
Collect any evidence to prove you weren’t responsible for any offences or fines. For example, if you have CCTV or a smart doorbell, you may be able to show video evidence that your car was parked on your drive at the time of the offence.
You should write to any authority that has issued a penalty or fine for the cloned car, explaining that the offence didn’t involve you or your vehicle.
Next, contact the DVLA to report that you believe your vehicle’s number plate has been cloned. The agency will then make a note on your car’s record.
Finally, contact your insurance company to report that your vehicle has been cloned. You should do this in case the cloned version of the car is involved in an accident and someone tries to make a claim against your insurance.
If you’re buying a used vehicle, there are certain steps you should take to make sure you don’t end up with a cloned car.
Ask to see the V5C logbook
Examine the V5C document carefully – the number plates in the document and on the car should match. Make sure the V5C has a DVLA watermark and the serial number isn’t between BG8229501 and BG9999030 or BI2305501 and BI2800000. If it is, the V5C might be stolen.
Check the VIN
Check that the VIN on the logbook matches the one stamped on the car. The VIN can be found on the chassis, below the windscreen and on the driver’s door sill.
If you can get hold of an on-board diagnostics (OBD) scanner and plug it into the car’s OBD port, this will show the genuine VIN, as these can’t be reprogrammed.
Get a car history check
Several online services offer this service. An AA car history check costs £14.99 and includes checks on outstanding car finance, insurance write-offs, V5C/VIN match, mileage discrepancies and scrapping by the DVLA and previous owners.
Check the number plates
While inspecting the car, look for signs that indicate the registration plates have been removed, replaced or tampered with.
Check the location
Be suspicious if the seller suggests you view the vehicle at a location far from the address listed in the logbook, especially if it’s a car park, layby or motorway service station. You should view the car at the registered address, and the seller should prove they live there by showing you their driving licence or a utility bill. A genuine seller will be happy to do this.
Don’t pay in cash
This is good advice whenever you buy a used car – not just if you’re worried about it being a clone. Paying in cash means there’s no traceable transaction proving you own the vehicle. You should pay by credit card because of the extra protection it offers.
Check the car’s history
Ask to see the automobile’s service history and receipts for any work done, and double-check that they match the seller’s address. You can do this if the car has an MOT online at gov.uk. Ask to see the car’s previous MOTs, and check if the mileage matches what’s shown on the vehicle.
Pay a realistic price
Research the market value of any car you’re thinking of buying. Be suspicious if any vehicle for sale is more than 30 per cent cheaper than the market value. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you have doubts about the legitimacy of any car you’re considering buying, the advice is simple: don’t buy it.
If you inadvertently buy a stolen car, you could lose the vehicle and the money you paid for it.
If you’re checking out a car and suspect it’s cloned, don’t confront the seller, as this may put you in danger. Instead, say you need to think about the purchase or discuss it with someone, then contact the police as soon as it’s safe.
If you’ve unknowingly bought a cloned car, tell the police immediately. You’ll need to provide as many details as possible about the seller.
Unfortunately, you’ll likely lose the car and the money you paid for it unless the fraudulent seller is brought to justice.
Any cloned car you bought is probably stolen, so it’ll be returned to its rightful owner or their insurance company if they made a claim for theft.
You shouldn’t continue to drive a car knowing it’s cloned or stolen, and you definitely shouldn’t try to sell it, as this would be a crime.
If you used a credit card to pay for the car, you may be able to make a claim via Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Unfortunately, your insurance won’t pay out if you’ve unknowingly bought a cloned car and have to hand it over to the police. However, if you have legal expenses as part of your cover, this may help you recover lost money.
Car cloning is on the increase. A Freedom of Information request by the website Honest John found that the number of fixed penalty notices cancelled due to cloning has soared in recent years.
Hackney Council reported 1,160 instances of car cloning between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019. These were detected after the genuine owners were sent PCNs for offences they didn’t commit.
Here are some steps to protect your car against cloning:
It’s very difficult to stop criminals from seeing and noting your registration number, as you’ll probably be driving your car regularly and parking it in public places.
Personalised number plates can be cloned the same way as other plates. Particularly distinctive personalised licence plates may be less likely to be cloned, as they might attract attention.
Report the theft to the police and get a crime number. You should also contact the DVLA to report that your number plates have been stolen and may have been cloned. The DVLA can arrange for you to buy new ones.
It’s unlikely that your car being cloned will impact your insurance premium. For this to happen, the criminals driving the cloned car must pay the Motor Insurance Database to get details about who you’re insured with and then make a claim on your insurance. Fortunately, insurers have anti-fraud processes in place to detect false claims.
