Is Your Number Plate at Risk? The Alarming Rise of Car Cloning
Imagine opening your post to find a speeding fine captured in a place you’ve never been to.
Or worse, discovering the car you just bought with your hard-earned savings isn’t legally yours.
This is the harsh reality of car cloning, a growing crime wave sweeping across the UK. Criminals are stealing number plates and identities to dodge the law, leaving innocent drivers to pick up the pieces - fines, court battles, and soaring insurance costs.
It’s never been more important to know how to spot the warning signs, protect yourself, and act fast if you’re targeted.
What is Car Cloning?
Car Cloning is the process of copying a legitimate vehicles' number plate and placing it on a nearly identical vehicle. If the car is then tracked driving dangerously or speeding by an ANPR camera (Automated Number Plate Recognition), the unsuspecting owner of the genuine plate could become the recipient of penalty notice!
These law-abiding victims then have the hassle of appealing for their innocence in court. To add insult to injury, they might see their insurance premiums increase by up to 25%, according to our insurance experts Quotezone.
Cloned Car Sales
Car cloning can also be used to disguise and resell stolen vehicles. In this instance, an unsuspecting buyer may proudly drive off in what they believe is their new car, only to have their joy shattered when they’re pulled over by the police and told the vehicle has been reported stolen. Unfortunately, once it's revealed the car was cloned, the buyer is left with no legal claim to it, and no car. Recovering any money spent becomes a difficult battle, often involving legal action and a great deal of frustration.
Car Cloning on the Rise
The disturbing problem of car cloning is far from rare. Incidents have surged dramatically in recent years, particularly in London, where reported cases soared by 64% to over 36,000 in 2023 alone.
A BBC investigation also uncovered a worrying loophole: where sellers of numberplates on platforms like eBay and Amazon were often failing to carry out the legally required identity checks before issuing a sold plates. This oversight has made it alarmingly easy for criminals to fraudulently obtain plates and commit cloning with minimal risk.
How to Avoid Car Cloning?
Hide Your Plate Online
If you’re advertising your vehicle for sale online or even just posting pictures of your car, take precautions such as blurring or covering the plates. Crooks crawl social media looking for cars to clone.
Stay Sharp When Buying
When buying a used car, ensure all VIN numbers on the car (usually under the driver side window and under the bonnet) match the logbook and check the vehicle details using the DVLA's enquiry service.
Research Before You Buy
Buy from trusted dealerships and be extra cautious when dealing with private car sellers. MotorEasy recommend you undertake a full car history check when buying a new car. The low-cost check will not only identify whether your new pride and joy is reported stolen or belongs to an individual other than the seller, it will also highlight whether the car has outstanding finance or was previously declared a write-off following an accident. For further details, or to buy a check for just £9.99, visit our Car History check section.
Record and Track Your Car
Fitting dashcams and GPS trackers for your car can provide evidence to prove your car was not in the area the tickets and fines are alleging.
Believe your Car has been Cloned?
- Report it to the police immediately.
- Contact the DVLA as well as your insurance provider.
- Consider applying for a new reg number to prevent further issues.
Action is Happening
Since the BBC’s investigation eBay and Amazon said they are committed to complying with regulatory requirements. The DVLA and Trading Standards are also continuously working on shutting down and fining these non-compliant sellers.
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