Do U know your Monte Carlo's true identity ?
#1
04-08-2007, 05:06 PM
Do U know your Monte Carlo's true identity ?
Interesting Article....If you have any doubts ? It's worth a read 
Do you know yourMonte Carlo'strue identity?
· By: by Tom Ripley for Driving Today
and Space from Driv'in Tomorrow
Your vehicle may not be what you think it is
With electronic funds transfer, online purchasing, and credit cards everywhere, the problem of identity theft is a hot topic for consumers, retailers, and law enforcement. Recently a series of ads running in heavy rotation on television has pointed out the problem in a blatantly in-your-face way. But now identity theft has a new wrinkle. The stolen identities aren't those of people; they are the identities of cars. In fact, if you are driving a used car these days, that car might not be what you think it is, and the difference could end up costing you thousands of dollars.
The new scam is called "VIN cloning," and it involves using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from one vehicle to mask the true identity of another (stolen) vehicle. In essence using the cloned VIN, which is the vehicle equivalent of a Social Security number, turns that stolen property into a "legal" vehicle that can be sold and t i t l e d.
Unfortunately, more and more unsuspecting consumers find themselves as unwitting recipients of stolen goods. Take Shawna Martin, for instance. She always loved Jeeps, so she was thrilled when she purchased what she believed was a used 1984 Jeep Cherokee. But, when she took the vehicle in to be serviced, her mechanic encountered a problem.
"He couldn't imagine why a 1984 Jeep was taking [model year] 1990 parts," said Martin. "I did a CARFAX Report, and the mileage turned out to be vastly different."
Based on the info she obtained from CARFAX, the leading provider of car history data, Martin thought she was the victim of odometer fraud, so she called the state police to report the discrepancy. Instead of confirming the rollback, the police determined her 1984 Jeep was actually a 1990 Jeep that had been reported stolen. Police immediately confiscated the vehicle.
"They had it for nearly a year, which was horrible," she said. "I was making loan payments on a car I didn't even have."
When Martin was finally able to get the vehicle back, it was no longer mechanically sound because it had been sitting in the impound lot for so long. Martin, as well as the dealer who unknowingly sold her the stolen car, was a victim of VIN cloning.
How do thieves steal vehicle identities? It is not as difficult as you might imagine, and the technique dates back to long before the Internet came into play. Often it is as simple as visiting an auto salvage yard.
"You don't have to sneak in. A lot of yards have a 'pick your own parts' policy," said an undercover police informant familiar with the process. "You go back there and take down the VIN numbers."
Car thieves can also obtain "new" VINs by swiping the plate or the number from vehicles sitting at dealerships or in parking lots. They then use the counterfeit numbers to obtain new ownership documents under false pretenses. Or they may simply forge new documents using the stolen vehicle identity.
[b]There are steps used car shoppers can take to avoid cloned" vehicles[/
Do you know yourMonte Carlo'strue identity?
· By: by Tom Ripley for Driving Today
and Space from Driv'in Tomorrow
Your vehicle may not be what you think it is
With electronic funds transfer, online purchasing, and credit cards everywhere, the problem of identity theft is a hot topic for consumers, retailers, and law enforcement. Recently a series of ads running in heavy rotation on television has pointed out the problem in a blatantly in-your-face way. But now identity theft has a new wrinkle. The stolen identities aren't those of people; they are the identities of cars. In fact, if you are driving a used car these days, that car might not be what you think it is, and the difference could end up costing you thousands of dollars.
The new scam is called "VIN cloning," and it involves using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from one vehicle to mask the true identity of another (stolen) vehicle. In essence using the cloned VIN, which is the vehicle equivalent of a Social Security number, turns that stolen property into a "legal" vehicle that can be sold and t i t l e d.
Unfortunately, more and more unsuspecting consumers find themselves as unwitting recipients of stolen goods. Take Shawna Martin, for instance. She always loved Jeeps, so she was thrilled when she purchased what she believed was a used 1984 Jeep Cherokee. But, when she took the vehicle in to be serviced, her mechanic encountered a problem.
"He couldn't imagine why a 1984 Jeep was taking [model year] 1990 parts," said Martin. "I did a CARFAX Report, and the mileage turned out to be vastly different."
Based on the info she obtained from CARFAX, the leading provider of car history data, Martin thought she was the victim of odometer fraud, so she called the state police to report the discrepancy. Instead of confirming the rollback, the police determined her 1984 Jeep was actually a 1990 Jeep that had been reported stolen. Police immediately confiscated the vehicle.
"They had it for nearly a year, which was horrible," she said. "I was making loan payments on a car I didn't even have."
When Martin was finally able to get the vehicle back, it was no longer mechanically sound because it had been sitting in the impound lot for so long. Martin, as well as the dealer who unknowingly sold her the stolen car, was a victim of VIN cloning.
How do thieves steal vehicle identities? It is not as difficult as you might imagine, and the technique dates back to long before the Internet came into play. Often it is as simple as visiting an auto salvage yard.
"You don't have to sneak in. A lot of yards have a 'pick your own parts' policy," said an undercover police informant familiar with the process. "You go back there and take down the VIN numbers."
Car thieves can also obtain "new" VINs by swiping the plate or the number from vehicles sitting at dealerships or in parking lots. They then use the counterfeit numbers to obtain new ownership documents under false pretenses. Or they may simply forge new documents using the stolen vehicle identity.
[b]There are steps used car shoppers can take to avoid cloned" vehicles[/
Last edited by Space; 05-15-2010 at 04:32 PM.
#2
04-08-2007, 05:51 PM
RE: Do U know your Monte Carlo's true identity ?
Wow that's scarey considering I bought my '06 Monte from the local Chevy dealer as a slightly used car.
One thing this story makes me wonder is why the dealer that sold this woman the used Jeep was held liable? Afterall they had possession of it before she did and anytime you heard of someone selling stolen property they too are charged with receiving stolen property.
One thing this story makes me wonder is why the dealer that sold this woman the used Jeep was held liable? Afterall they had possession of it before she did and anytime you heard of someone selling stolen property they too are charged with receiving stolen property.
#3
04-09-2007, 02:33 AM
RE: Do U know your Monte Carlo's true identity ?
Glad I had mine checked at GM and verified the VIN for me to find out that mine was 18 out of 4000 built. 
#4
05-15-2010, 04:28 PM
Was there a particular division you called to get the #? I just bought an Intimidator and would love to know what #/4000 it is.
#5
05-15-2010, 06:51 PM
i had my VIN and rpo options list printed out by the dealer because i thought it was cool to have the complete options list the way my car was ordered. vin tampering is not that easy, at least in canada that is. i do know of people who have done it and kept the car till it was scrapped but never sold to unsuspecting consumers. i have also heard of some places taking an accident car that never got reported and taking the vin's off and making a totalled car a "accident free car".
#6
05-15-2010, 07:35 PM
The way that people have found out before was calling Chevy Customer Assistance at 1-800-222-1020
#9
05-17-2010, 07:54 AM
I watched some special on TV about this. It was about a group of people that turned it into a business, and made millions stealing and selling high end cars. Nothing is safe these days.
