12-16-2009, 11:09 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Posts: 10,626
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Carlton
The question is how the first subsequent owner obtained a suitable title to register the vehicle. The title was in the possession of Allstate.
How that fraud was perpetuated is of significant curiosity.
And, yes, some poor slob is out a whole lot of money because of the original fraud.
This fraud, if widely utilized, can be perpetuated on any unsuspecting used car purchaser.
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VIN Switch:
VIN Switching is a technique used by thieves to disguise the identity of a stolen vehicle. They will replace the VIN on a stolen vehicle with a VIN that is not associated with an active theft record. The vehicle thief will then try to resell the stolen car to an unsuspecting customer. In addition to manually switching the VIN, some VIN switchers will also develop fraudulent titles and registrations to go along with the vehicle.
Salvage Switch:
A vehicle which is extensively damaged, burned or stripped and deemed not worthy of repair is called "salvaged."
Thieves use a phony name and address to buy a salvaged vehicle solely for its title and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). They steal a car of the same make and model and switch the VINs -- removing the rectangular VIN plate from the salvaged car and placing it in the stolen car, giving the vehicle a "clean" look. The perpetrators then claim the stolen car is the salvaged one that s been rebuilt, register the car using the same phony name and address, and resell it to an innocent purchaser.
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