Cars worth $88,000 bought via stolen ID

A man who started getting angry letters from finance companies about two vehicles, worth nearly $90,000, had no idea what they were talking about.

He later discovered that a man who had bought his courier run had used his identity to buy the vehicles.

Abdul Kahn, 26, bought the Napier run off the man in early December 2017.

Kahn told the man he had a friend who could sell him a food franchise and got him to send a copy of a power bill for proof of his address.

A few weeks later the man got a letter from Marac Finance and another from AA Finance outlining the two vehicles he had bought and the instalment plan by which he would pay for them. One vehicle was a 2007 Holden Commodore Club Sport that he had apparently bought for $40,497.04.

The other was a 2014 Toyota Hiace van worth $47,789.84. A month later the man received sternly worded letters informing him that the cars would be repossessed unless he started paying for them. So he engaged a lawyer to find out more information.

He discovered Kahn had taken out loans through emails and online applications by using his name, signature, an email address in his name, and a copy of his driver’s licence.

The Holden was repossessed by Heartland bank from Kahn’s address.

The Toyota was repossessed by police.

Kahn initially denied the allegations and said the victim had given him the vehicles. He later changed his mind and appeared in the Napier District Court yesterday to plead guilty to two charges of obtaining by deception.

Judge Tony Adeane said it was quite sophisticated offending with a lot of money involved. He remanded Kahn on bail until next month for sentencing.