03/2014 – Auto Express Article – Case Study “Police seized my L200 pick-up”
One victim of the scam was Paul [redacted], who bought his Mitsubishi L200 In January last year from a private seller after seeing the pick-up advertised online.
Paul, from Reading in Berkshire, had even run a reg check on it before going to collect it from the seller in Leicester. It wasn’t until a month later, when he got pulled over by the police, that he found out about the problem.
“I was working for the ambulance service and still in my uniform,” said Paul. “The police told me the car was stolen and seized it. I got a lift home and haven’t seen it since. I’m out of pocket to the tune of £10,000.”
Car buyers are being targeted by a new scam as part of a fresh wave of car-related fraud, say industry sources.
Criminals are conning buyers and dealers by purchasing a vehicle from a dealer, often using a stolen credit card, and then attempting to sell it privately.
When the dealer discovers the payment has bounced, the car gets listed on the Police National Computer (PNC). Sooner or later, the vehicle will come to the attention of the police, usually via an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system.
The question is: who holds the title- the new ‘owner’ or the dealer? The answer is far from clear, and in some cases cars have been returned to the dealer, possibly incorrectly.
Ex-policeman Philip Swift, of Claims Management & Adjusting, is concerned innocent car buyers are being hard done by. “Many constabularies appear to be confusing property alleged to have been obtained by fraudulent means with that acquires by theft,” he said.
Mr Swift explained there was an important distinction, as ownership does not pass in stolen cases whereas in fraud cases, titles can and often do pass to the innocent buyer. “Different constabularies are adopting different approaches and what we need is a clear guidance to prevent consumers and the police becoming needlessly embroiled in complaints,” he added.
A spokesman from the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators told us this type of activity is one the rise.
He said: “Sometimes it is a ‘lone wolf’ conman. In other instances, it is more sophisticated, involving staff at the dealer and further up the supply chain.”