1:12 pm, March 12, 2008
HPI is warning dealers to be on their guard after the DVLA issued an alert listing serial numbers of vehicle registration documents that have been stolen and may be in use by car criminals.
The documents are being used by criminals to accompany stolen vehicles that have had their identity changed to match that of a legitimate vehicle. These cloned vehicles are then sold on to unsuspecting dealers and members of the public who can suffer significant financial losses when their vehicles are found to be stolen and confiscated by the police.
The V5 documents in question bear serial numbers in the ranges BG8407501 to BG8431000 and BG9282001 to BG9305000. They also have a different background colour on the Notification of Permanent Export (V5C/4) tear off slip on the second page, which looks mauve on the front and pink on the reverse. On legitimate documents they should be mauve on both sides.
HPI is the UK’s leading independent vehicle information specialist and the only one that includes a Stolen V5 Document Check as standard, confirming the V5 registration document is legitimate and relates to the right car.
Urging the trade to be watchful, Daniel Burgess, Automotive Director of HPI, explains: ‘The theft of these documents is alarming and is bound to add to the growing number of stolen vehicles that are being cloned. As criminals get ever more resourceful, dealers should be reassured to know that HPI’s V5 Document Check is a safeguard against all types of vehicle fraud.’
