A car is stolen every eight minutes, according to CARFAX Canada, and scammers are getting smarter at hiding illegal vehicles in plain sight.
One of the biggest tricks? VIN cloning. Thieves grab the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) off an unsuspecting Canadian’s car and slap it onto a stolen or written off vehicle to disguise its sketchy past. Suddenly there are two completely different cars that share the same identity — one shady and one legit.
And the fallout hits fast. The value of the legit vehicle can drop, insurance claims can be denied, and basic things like registration can turn into a nightmare.
In some cases, drivers can even get tangled up in legal issues tied to the cloned vehicle — chaos no one signed up for.
Unfortunately, this happens to innocent Canadians every day no matter what kind of car they own, but the risk is elevated for vehicles that are highly desirable to criminals.
All kinds of cars are at risk of VIN cloning. Courtesy of CARFAX Canada
VIN fraud can become your problem when buying a used car too, so don’t skip the VIN Fraud Check and Vehicle History Report to detect potential fraudulent activity and get a complete look at available accidents, recall and service records to avoid a disastrous purchase.
CARFAX Canada says being aware and staying alert makes a world of difference for car owners. That starts with small habits, like parking in well-lit areas, keeping documents secure, and taking note of any random incidents connected to your vehicle's history. (For example, if an oil change in Alberta shows up in your vehicle’s history when you live in Ontario.)
For true peace of mind, CARFAX Canada's Vehicle Monitoring can catch VIN fraud, giving you automatic activity alerts when something potentially suspicious pops up. The sooner suspicious activity gets spotted, the easier it'll be to deal with before it becomes an expensive problem to solve.
The subscription includes monthly updates with a fresh Vehicle History Report and VIN Fraud Check, and automatic alerts when new activities related to your VIN are detected. It's a straightforward way to catch potential VIN fraud before it snowballs.
With VIN fraud continuing to be a serious problem across the country, staying alert and using trusted tools like those provided by CARFAX Canada can protect your car, your money and your stress levels in the long run.