Police warn of rising problem of vehicle ‘identity theft’
Identity theft is no longer a problem befalling only people.
Calgary police have noticed a recent spike in vehicle cloning or “revinning,” where stolen vehicles are being given the identities of vehicles in other provinces through use of their vehicle identification numbers or VINs.
Those vehicles are later sold to unsuspecting consumers who are out thousands of dollars when police end up seizing the vehicles as stolen property.
So far this year, police have recovered more than 45 vehicles that have been revinned, charged nine people and laid 67 criminal charges, including fraud over $5,000, motor vehicle theft, tampering with a VIN, uttering forged documents and possession of stolen property.
“Many, many years ago, this was a trend that originated out of Eastern Canada and vehicles were being revinned or cloned out there, sent out to Alberta and sold to unsuspecting consumers,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Rutledge with the organized crime unit.
“The trend we’re seeing right now is that they’re being stolen or obtained by fraud in Calgary or the Calgary region and sold all over Alberta.”
Calgary police have seen a “dramatic spike” in recent years he said, adding police would have seized only about 10 cloned vehicles three years ago.
The perpetrators are involved in organized crime, recognizing there is a huge profit to be made, Rutledge said.
In the vehicle cloning process, culprits either steal or obtain a vehicle through fraudulent means. They then find a vehicle with a similar colour, year, make and model from another province or country, take that vehicle’s VIN, and create fraudulent VIN plates and federal standards decals, which are placed on the stolen vehicle.
The vehicle is taken to an inspection facility for an out-of-province inspection form, which, along with a forged bill of sale, is filed with a registry office.
With a new identity, the vehicle can be sold to an unsuspecting buyer.
“The vehicles we are recovering are high-end cars and SUVs, trucks, $50,000 to $60,000 vehicles,” Rutledge said, adding seized vehicles include Hummers, Ferraris and even a Lamborghini.
“When we go to the door and seize their vehicle, they’re out that money because the vehicle was originally stolen from someone else.”
In a recent bust, revinned vehicles that had been stolen in Calgary were discovered in Montreal in a shipping container en route to Africa, he said.
Rutledge said police are working with Service Alberta, Alberta registries and insurance companies to crack down on offenders.
He recommended that would-be buyers ask for government-issued identification from the seller, and conduct a CarProof or Carfax vehicle history check.
If in doubt, the vehicle should be taken to a car dealership for a check.
Consumers can also check the VIN on www.cpic-cipc.ca to see if the vehicle is listed as stolen.