Has your vehicle ever been a victim of number plate cloning? If so, you can appreciate what an absolute nuisance it is. If not, it’s worth being vigilant to the crime which is on the rise in the UK.
In this article explaining what to do if your number plate is cloned, we let you know who to call, how to report it, and what to do next. Read on to find out more…
Number plate cloning is when the registration plate of your vehicle has been copied by someone else and used on another vehicle. It is a crime to clone a number plate in the UK and often the criminals in question duplicate a registration plate to commit unlawful behaviour.
To clone a registration plate, the criminals will choose an almost identical make and model to match so that the crime goes unnoticed for as long as possible. A car or van with a history of no previous offences (such as parking tickets or speeding fines) will also prove the ideal vehicle for them to target.
Often, a vehicle registration plate is cloned so that criminals can commit illegal motoring acts. This may include driving into London without paying the congestion zone charge or Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fees, running through red lights, speeding, or parking unlawfully.
It means the police will contact the registered keeper of the vehicle from which the number plate has been duplicated, believing that they committed the crime. Usually at this point, the owner will be none the wiser until a series of fines and penalty notices are received.
The whole process makes it much harder for the police to catch the actual criminals.
The internet provides an ideal source of information for criminal gangs who clone vehicle number plates. Social media especially is full of people sharing pictures of their cars and this seemingly harmless act means that lawbreakers can see the number plate, as well as the make and model of vehicle.
Most likely the first indication you’ll have that your vehicle’s number plate has been cloned, is if you receive a speeding ticket or parking fine that you have no knowledge of. It may be that you receive a succession of these in a short space of time, which identifies your car or van as being in a location you haven’t visited within the given timeframe.
If you suspect your vehicle’s number plate has been cloned, then the first thing to do is return the tickets and fines to the authority that issued them. You should explain in writing that the penalties did not involve you or your vehicle. Be prepared to provide evidence to prove your whereabouts - this is where dash cams can come in very handy!
Secondly, contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to inform them that you believe your vehicle’s number plate has been cloned. They will then make a note on the record of your vehicle.
Lastly, report your concerns to the police. You can report a number plate cloning crime online or by calling 101 from a mobile or landline, which is a non-emergency police telephone number.
Here are the three steps you should take if you suspect your vehicle’s registration plate is cloned:
If you’re buying a used car and want to check it isn’t cloned using another vehicle’s number plate, then there are a number of steps you can take:
To ensure your vehicle doesn’t become the victim of number plate cloning, there are steps to take to protect its identity, including:
The UK’s police forces estimate that up to 20% of vehicles on our roads could be driven using cloned number plates, which is a concerning figure.
Worryingly, number plate cloning is becoming increasingly common, with around 13,000 cases of registration plate duplications being reported every year. There are a number of reasons why this is happening:
Did you find our cloned number plate article useful? If so, then why not explore the other number plate related articles here on the Wilsons Epsom website…
Discover how the number plate system works in the UK by reading our dedicated number plate guide. If you’re thinking of investing in a private registration plate, then check out our rules of personalised number plates blog too.
Happy reading!