Car-cloners leave local motorists and dealers out of pocket

A huge ‘car-cloning’ syndicate has left some local residents without their vehicles, which have turned out to have been stolen, and have been confiscated by police. In some cases, the unsuspecting owners have been driving their vehicles – bought from local and out-of-town car dealers and individuals – for nearly two years before a police probe revealed that the cars had been stolen.
Colonel Linda Ferreira of the Vehicle Unit in Newcastle said second car dealers may have ‘unwittingly sold the vehicles to unsuspecting members of the public, all believing that a police clearance certificate will ensure a vehicle as safe.’
Several cases have been registered in Newcastle as well. Cloned vehicles, a relatively new problem to this area, have been detected as long as two months ago, but it is extremely difficult to detect this crime on face value.
Colonel Ferreira explained that a police clearance is no guarantee that you are not buying a stolen or cloned vehicle. It only means that the set of numbers on the certificate, as presented, will not raise any red flags in a cursory inspection. The police have confiscated eight vehicles in Dundee and Glencoe so far, of which four were at Glencoe Correctional services. One of the vehicles was hi-jacked in Pinetown. A second-hand car dealer in Newcastle lost over R800 000 refunded back to customers.
Members of the public who think they may be in the possession of cloned cars, are requested to contact the Vehicle Unit in Newcastle, on phone number 034-314 6331, and speak to Colonel Linda Ferreira, or Warrant Officer Gary Holmes. A physical inspection of any suspect vehicle will soon indicate if the particulars had been tampered with.

What is car cloning?
According to the website of the South African Insurance Crime Bureau, vehicle “cloning” is a scam that has grown at an alarming rate over the last few years in South Africa and internationally. Cloning is a term used to describe a vehicle that has had its identity changed, usually because it is a stolen or hijacked vehicle.
The cloning of vehicles takes place when criminals legalise stolen and/or hijacked vehicles by reproducing the stamped VIN number, the printed VIN sticker, and the stamped engine number of legally owned vehicles onto a stolen or hijacked vehicle of the same make, model and colour. By applying counterfeit identification tags/stickers, criminals make the stolen/hijacked vehicles appear to be legitimate, legally owned cars and trucks.
The criminals are normally part of a syndicate that specialises in vehicle crime and sells these altered vehicles to unsuspecting consumers. The result is two or more vehicles that look exactly alike – according to their identity and vehicle identification. The reality is that only one vehicle is a legitimate, legally-owned vehicle, while the rest are “clones” and, therefore, illegal vehicles that can be confiscated and destroyed if the original identity cannot be established. There are various methods used by criminal syndicates to obtain the identity (VIN and engine numbers) of vehicles to clone the vehicle identity. Syndicates purchase wrecked vehicles and then transfer the particulars of the wrecked vehicle onto a stolen or hijacked vehicle. This method proved to be costly and left a paper trail through receipts that could be traced back to the purchaser of the wrecked vehicle.
Dormant records used
Syndicates use dormant records on the eNatis system. Dormant records are records of vehicles that were exported out of the country after the vehicle was manufactured or the vehicles that are exported by the then registered owner. This method of cloning was, and is, very efficient as the vehicle identity used for the cloning is no longer in the country and, therefore more difficult to track. Through thorough investigation by the South African Police Service, this method of cloning was successfully curbed.
Syndicates also use just the record of the wrecked vehicles. This method of cloning can be detected after a while when the insurance industry tries to dispose of their wrecked vehicles. It is then noted that the vehicle is no longer registered in their name and disposal of the wrecked vehicle becomes almost impossible. Syndicates are also focusing on live records of vehicles.
This is where the vehicle is registered in a lawful vehicle owner’s name wherein the vehicle is still under finance. When the registered owners go to renew their vehicle licences, they find that the vehicles are no longer registered in their names. Practically the only way in which you can prevent falling victim to this scam is to buy your vehicle from a reputable dealer or person. This is the only way to ensure that you are buying a legitimate vehicle.
The only time most people find out that their vehicle has been cloned is when they go to renew their vehicle license, or if they receive a speeding fine for a vehicle that is not theirs. Be careful when buying a used vehicle online or from newspaper classifieds where only a cell number is given as a contact. When purchasing a used vehicle, ask for the service book/owner’s manual which should be with the vehicle at all times. The vehicle should also always have two sets of keys. If you buy a Code 3 vehicle (a rebuilt vehicle indicated on your registration document), ask to see the repair schedule of the vehicle.