What Is a VIN Number?
Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) are serial numbers for vehicles that are used to differentiate similar makes and models. Similar to social security numbers, every vehicle has a unique VIN. VIN plates are located on the dashboard and can be viewed through the windshield. Law enforcement agencies use VINs to determine if a vehicle has an active theft record.
Types of VIN Scams
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VIN Switch:
Thieves use VIN switching to disguise the identity of a stolen vehicle. They will replace the VIN on a stolen vehicle with a VIN that is not recorded as stolen. The thief will then try to resell the stolen car to an unsuspecting customer. Some VIN switchers will also create fraudulent titles and registrations to go along with the vehicle.
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Salvage Switch:
A vehicle that is extensively damaged, burned, or stripped, and determined not to be eligible for repair is called "salvaged." Thieves use phony identification to buy a salvaged vehicle just to obtain the title and the VIN. Then, they go out and steal a car that is the same make and model, and switch the VIN plates. The thieves then claim that the stolen car is in fact the salvaged one that is rebuilt, register the vehicle using the phony identification information, and then resell it to an innocent purchaser.
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Strip and Run:
This is another scam that thieves use to disguise a stolen car. In this situation, a car thief steals a car, strips it for the parts, then abandons it. Eventually, police recover the vehicle and cancel the theft record. The thieves purchase the vehicle's frame at an insurance or police auto auction and then re-attach the parts they stole from the car, resulting in a car that is no longer listed as stolen.
