The Top 4 Newest Trends For Car Thieves
The Top 4 Newest Trends For Car Thieves
The Top 4 Newest Trends For Car Thieves 
Technology Impacts How We Keep Our Cars, Selves Safe
It's becomingly increasingly common for thieves to target the components of a vehicle rather than the vehicle itself (moohaha, Flickr).
by: Craig Howie
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from this Author
Len Cutter woke one morning earlier this year to find his late-model Honda Civic had some reconstructive work done. The rear window was laying, broken, across the rear seats, although nothing inside the car was taken. As it turns out, the thieves were after his roof rack.
"They're going to break into my car and steal a roof rack?" he said. "Gimme a break."
Cutter, of Long Beach, California, fell victim to a common trend in auto thievery: components are now more attractive than the car itself.
Vehicles are getting harder to steal outright, especially given massive advances in anti-theft technology (current hi-tech keys won't even allow you to turn the engine over unless the right microchip is present, moving hotwiring into the realm of cultural artifact). As a result, car thieves are stealing components such as GPS devices, DVD systems, rims and tires and, indeed, roof racks, rather than the whole vehicle. Yet, as cars become more futuristic, some old trends are returning. Here are the top trends in auto knavery that you need to keep in mind:
1. Odometer Fraud
Amid so many technological advances, the full digitization of the dashboard has had an effect on odometers. Odometer rollbacks are "back in a big way," said Christopher Basso of Carfax. "There is widespread use of digital odometers. People are getting software off the internet rather than cracking open the dash and hand-cranking back the odometer. It's harder to detect as there are no physical signs the vehicle has been tampered with."
Odometer rollbacks increased 57 percent from 2004-2008 (the last year for which data is available), with more than 450,000 cases reported annually. Over the last five years there's been a nearly 60 percent increase in the number of vehicles reported with odometer rollbacks, Basso says. The number of unreported cases -- where a consumer is unaware there is a problem -- is potentially much higher.
"It is a big and growing problem that continues to plague used-car buyers," said Basso.
But Frank Scafidi, of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, says rolling back odometers "is not as easy as it used to be."
"It happens here or there but it is not the predominant cause of auto fraud. Just like making moonshine, you're still going to find people somewhere doing it because they know how to do it. It's just now most people prefer to get their alcohol at a liquor store."
2. Car Cloning
Scafidi says one of the newest auto frauds is "car cloning." Cloning occurs when multiple (usually higher-end) cars of the same model are stolen and registered with a VIN number from a legitimate vehicle.
"The thieves go get a VIN number from a showroom floor and reproduce it three or four times and attach it to the stolen vehicles and then ship them to four or five states," said Scafidi. "The multiple VIN numbers for us are the biggest red flags out there, and we go get 'em."
The FBI says that car-cloning rings -- often established for decades -- operate in most major cities nationwide. While there is no way to calculate true rates of car cloning, the FBI says it constitutes a "significant percentage" of vehicle thefts, the value of which totaled $6.4 billion in 2008. The agency recommends always buying your car from a reputable dealership and checking your car's VIN number with your state's licensing agency before you buy.
Common warning signs that you may have bought a cloned car include receiving unpaid traffic tickets you haven't sustained; a model being sold for much less than buyer's guides indicate it should be; scratches or evidence of tampering on the car's VIN number on the door frame or engine block; or a missing vehicle history report.
Terri Miller, director of Michigan's Halt Auto Theft program, says: "We're seeing a lot of cloning. They'll go to a scapyard and buy a clean title and they can then use that number on a vehicle of the same make and model."
3. Component theft and resale
With car stereos -- traditionally the item most stolen from cars -- getting harder to pilfer as a result of electronic security measures, thieves are getting more inventive.
Nationally, more than 75,000 airbags are stolen every year, according to the FBI. Thefts of GPS and DVD systems are increasing alongside the popularity of the devices among aftermarket buyers. Thefts of xenon headlights are also a growing problem. The advantage (or disadvantage) of component theft: The goods often are difficult to track and usually there's a fairly constant demand for them.
Miller says component theft is "the biggest thing. As cars are getting harder to steal, they have to steal parts of them. We're seeing easily fenced items such as tires, rims and GPS units getting stolen."
She says many items end up being sold online or on the street. In many cases buyers may think they're buying a legitimate product rather than a stolen part. She says that criminal enterprises, like legitimate businesses, mainly work on the basis of supply and demand.
"Occasionally, when, for example, Ford Taurus airbags are on back order, we'll see an increase in thefts."
4. Carjackings
You may think that carjackings had gone the way of spinning rims, but rates are holding steady in Southern California and increasing in Michigan. And there are pockets of America urban areas where the trend never really died down.
Officer Canales of the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division says carjacking is still "pretty common."
"We get a few every now and then, usually a gun or knife is involved. It can be anything from high-value to low-value [cars] but we see more Hondas -- Accords and Civics -- and Toyotas."
Carjackings occur most frequently in urban areas and account for about three percent of all thefts, the Insurance Information Institute reports.
"A co-worker of my husband last week was carjacked outside a pizza parlor," Miller said. "He pointed a gun and said, 'You know what I want,' and drove off in his brand-new Mustang.
"Most carjackings involve a weapon so we always advise motorists to hand over their keys before they become a statistic," Miller says.
Where You Live Is As Important As What You Drive
A motor vehicle is stolen in the United States every 33 seconds, according to the FBI. In 2008, most vehicles -- or 37.8 percent, were stolen in the South, followed by the West at 33.9 percent, the Midwest at 18.3 percent and the Northeast at 10 percent. But thefts are decreasing by about 12 percent year on year for the last five years.
"Thefts follow technology," said Scafidi. "Smart keys or digital security devices are playing a big part in the reduction."
Here are the latest car theft statistics from broken down by city and model.
Rank (by density)/ Metropolitan / Vehicles Stolen
1. Laredo, TX 1,792
2. Modesto, CA 3,712
3. Bakersfield, CA 5,530
4. Stockton, CA 4,479
5. Fresno, CA5,875
6. Yakima, WA1,525
7. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 26,374
8. Visalia-Porterville, CA 2,440
9. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 10,706
10. Albuquerque, NM 4,815
Source: Auto thefts by cities 2009; National Insurance Crime Bureau
Rank / Year / Make / Model
1. 1994 Honda Accord
2. 1995 Honda Civic
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
6. 2000 Dodge Caravan
7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
8. 1994 Acura Integra
9. 1999 Ford Taurus
10. 2002 Ford Explorer
Technology Impacts How We Keep Our Cars, Selves Safe
It's becomingly increasingly common for thieves to target the components of a vehicle rather than the vehicle itself (moohaha, Flickr). by: Craig Howie
See More Articles
from this Author
Len Cutter woke one morning earlier this year to find his late-model Honda Civic had some reconstructive work done. The rear window was laying, broken, across the rear seats, although nothing inside the car was taken. As it turns out, the thieves were after his roof rack.
"They're going to break into my car and steal a roof rack?" he said. "Gimme a break."
Cutter, of Long Beach, California, fell victim to a common trend in auto thievery: components are now more attractive than the car itself.
Vehicles are getting harder to steal outright, especially given massive advances in anti-theft technology (current hi-tech keys won't even allow you to turn the engine over unless the right microchip is present, moving hotwiring into the realm of cultural artifact). As a result, car thieves are stealing components such as GPS devices, DVD systems, rims and tires and, indeed, roof racks, rather than the whole vehicle. Yet, as cars become more futuristic, some old trends are returning. Here are the top trends in auto knavery that you need to keep in mind:
1. Odometer Fraud
Amid so many technological advances, the full digitization of the dashboard has had an effect on odometers. Odometer rollbacks are "back in a big way," said Christopher Basso of Carfax. "There is widespread use of digital odometers. People are getting software off the internet rather than cracking open the dash and hand-cranking back the odometer. It's harder to detect as there are no physical signs the vehicle has been tampered with."
Odometer rollbacks increased 57 percent from 2004-2008 (the last year for which data is available), with more than 450,000 cases reported annually. Over the last five years there's been a nearly 60 percent increase in the number of vehicles reported with odometer rollbacks, Basso says. The number of unreported cases -- where a consumer is unaware there is a problem -- is potentially much higher.
"It is a big and growing problem that continues to plague used-car buyers," said Basso.
But Frank Scafidi, of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, says rolling back odometers "is not as easy as it used to be."
"It happens here or there but it is not the predominant cause of auto fraud. Just like making moonshine, you're still going to find people somewhere doing it because they know how to do it. It's just now most people prefer to get their alcohol at a liquor store."
2. Car Cloning
Scafidi says one of the newest auto frauds is "car cloning." Cloning occurs when multiple (usually higher-end) cars of the same model are stolen and registered with a VIN number from a legitimate vehicle.
"The thieves go get a VIN number from a showroom floor and reproduce it three or four times and attach it to the stolen vehicles and then ship them to four or five states," said Scafidi. "The multiple VIN numbers for us are the biggest red flags out there, and we go get 'em."
The FBI says that car-cloning rings -- often established for decades -- operate in most major cities nationwide. While there is no way to calculate true rates of car cloning, the FBI says it constitutes a "significant percentage" of vehicle thefts, the value of which totaled $6.4 billion in 2008. The agency recommends always buying your car from a reputable dealership and checking your car's VIN number with your state's licensing agency before you buy.
Common warning signs that you may have bought a cloned car include receiving unpaid traffic tickets you haven't sustained; a model being sold for much less than buyer's guides indicate it should be; scratches or evidence of tampering on the car's VIN number on the door frame or engine block; or a missing vehicle history report.
Terri Miller, director of Michigan's Halt Auto Theft program, says: "We're seeing a lot of cloning. They'll go to a scapyard and buy a clean title and they can then use that number on a vehicle of the same make and model."
3. Component theft and resale
With car stereos -- traditionally the item most stolen from cars -- getting harder to pilfer as a result of electronic security measures, thieves are getting more inventive.
Nationally, more than 75,000 airbags are stolen every year, according to the FBI. Thefts of GPS and DVD systems are increasing alongside the popularity of the devices among aftermarket buyers. Thefts of xenon headlights are also a growing problem. The advantage (or disadvantage) of component theft: The goods often are difficult to track and usually there's a fairly constant demand for them.
Miller says component theft is "the biggest thing. As cars are getting harder to steal, they have to steal parts of them. We're seeing easily fenced items such as tires, rims and GPS units getting stolen."
She says many items end up being sold online or on the street. In many cases buyers may think they're buying a legitimate product rather than a stolen part. She says that criminal enterprises, like legitimate businesses, mainly work on the basis of supply and demand.
"Occasionally, when, for example, Ford Taurus airbags are on back order, we'll see an increase in thefts."
4. Carjackings
You may think that carjackings had gone the way of spinning rims, but rates are holding steady in Southern California and increasing in Michigan. And there are pockets of America urban areas where the trend never really died down.
Officer Canales of the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division says carjacking is still "pretty common."
"We get a few every now and then, usually a gun or knife is involved. It can be anything from high-value to low-value [cars] but we see more Hondas -- Accords and Civics -- and Toyotas."
Carjackings occur most frequently in urban areas and account for about three percent of all thefts, the Insurance Information Institute reports.
"A co-worker of my husband last week was carjacked outside a pizza parlor," Miller said. "He pointed a gun and said, 'You know what I want,' and drove off in his brand-new Mustang.
"Most carjackings involve a weapon so we always advise motorists to hand over their keys before they become a statistic," Miller says.
Where You Live Is As Important As What You Drive
A motor vehicle is stolen in the United States every 33 seconds, according to the FBI. In 2008, most vehicles -- or 37.8 percent, were stolen in the South, followed by the West at 33.9 percent, the Midwest at 18.3 percent and the Northeast at 10 percent. But thefts are decreasing by about 12 percent year on year for the last five years.
"Thefts follow technology," said Scafidi. "Smart keys or digital security devices are playing a big part in the reduction."
Here are the latest car theft statistics from broken down by city and model.
Rank (by density)/ Metropolitan / Vehicles Stolen
1. Laredo, TX 1,792
2. Modesto, CA 3,712
3. Bakersfield, CA 5,530
4. Stockton, CA 4,479
5. Fresno, CA5,875
6. Yakima, WA1,525
7. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 26,374
8. Visalia-Porterville, CA 2,440
9. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 10,706
10. Albuquerque, NM 4,815
Source: Auto thefts by cities 2009; National Insurance Crime Bureau
Rank / Year / Make / Model
1. 1994 Honda Accord
2. 1995 Honda Civic
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
6. 2000 Dodge Caravan
7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
8. 1994 Acura Integra
9. 1999 Ford Taurus
10. 2002 Ford Explorer
Posted to Help Protect Your Monte Carlo : )
How to Protect Your Car From Break Ins
By Andrew Downs,
Protect Your Car From Break Ins
Car intrusion runs rampant in the United States. Car intrusion is sometimes unavoidable but there are some ways to protect yourself from this crime. In this article well talk about methods to keep your car safe while unattended. Some are obvious others are not so lets keep your car safe! Read on!!!
Difficulty:ModerateInstructions
things you'll need:
By Andrew Downs,
Protect Your Car From Break Ins
Car intrusion runs rampant in the United States. Car intrusion is sometimes unavoidable but there are some ways to protect yourself from this crime. In this article well talk about methods to keep your car safe while unattended. Some are obvious others are not so lets keep your car safe! Read on!!!
Difficulty:ModerateInstructions
things you'll need:
- A car
-
- 1...The odds of having your car broken into are typically based on difficulty. Some drivers own high risk cars. These cars include convertibles, luxury cars, and cars with items of value visible by passerby' s. Your car is the least safe at night when your sleeping and the darkness provides limited visibility for would be intruders to mask themselves while committing crime. If you are planning on buying a car avoid a cars that stick out among the cars it will be parked next to. If you own a car like this invest in protection for the car. Car insurance carriers rarely cover break ins so you are on your own if this happens to you.
- 2...So lets talk about car alarms. Yes they are a pain and cost money but they have gotten cheaper over the years. A car alarm is the number one deterrent for a would be intruder. Criminals want easy low risk targets. A loud beeping sound heard six blocks away is the last thing they want so if your serious about protection invest in a car alarm. Although this article is based on car break ins The Club is a great device for preventing car theft.
- 3...Lets talk about your doors. The easiest car to break into is the one that's unlocked. This presents easy money for a would be intruder. If your doors are locked they may break the windows but they may do that anyway. Lock your doors.
- 4...Lets talk about the inside of your car. Criminals don't want to waste time looking for valuables. They want to know something of value is in the car before they even touch it. Keep a clean car with nothing of value in it. Buy an MP3 player to hook into your stereo. Take it out along with the face plate to your stereo when you park. The stereo is useless with out the plate and this way your music is on your MP3 player and your CDs stay in your home where they belong.
- 5....Furthermore, never leave valuables in your car unattended. This crime can go down in a minute or less. Laptops, guitars, briefcases, etc should never be left in your car. If you have to leave something in the car for a short time conceal it using the trunk, the space under a seat or a blanket.
- 6...Dump the high priced audio setup for a simple stereo. If you drive around with a giant system with amplifiers, big speakers, and sub woofers, intruders will begin to scope your car (some may even live in your neighborhood). Having a huge loud stereo is like asking to have your car broken into. If you have a factory stereo and speakers intruders will probably take a pas on your car as factory stereos are worth very little.
- 7..If you can park in a well lit high traffic area. If your car is too visible intruders wont take a chance. If you have a garage utilize it to protect your car. You'd be surprised to know some intruders break into cars while their parked in their owners driveway even while their at home.
- 8...Meet with your fellow neighbors ask them if they would like to form a neighborhood watch of sorts to protect against car intrusion. This maybe a problem your whole neighborhood would like to work on. If you or a neighbor hears or sees something suspicious agree to call the police. A neighbor hood with a strong police presence is unlikely to be alluring to intruders
- 9..So in closing don't leave valuables in your car, make your car an unlikely target of high risk for an intruder by removing valuables and parking it in a well lit area, and work with your neighbors to protect the property of the neighborhood.
- 1...The odds of having your car broken into are typically based on difficulty. Some drivers own high risk cars. These cars include convertibles, luxury cars, and cars with items of value visible by passerby' s. Your car is the least safe at night when your sleeping and the darkness provides limited visibility for would be intruders to mask themselves while committing crime. If you are planning on buying a car avoid a cars that stick out among the cars it will be parked next to. If you own a car like this invest in protection for the car. Car insurance carriers rarely cover break ins so you are on your own if this happens to you.
Last edited by Space; Apr 23, 2011 at 08:19 AM.
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