Reg number scam

MarcusAurelius

Would you risk parking your car next to a car of identical make and similar colour?

There must be a reason why car for sale ads feature blurred reg numbers...

Any thoughts?

Herzlos

I'm not sure I get the risk with parking next to an identical make/model/colour, that there will be confusion over parking tickets?

A lot of for sale ads and general posts online tend to obscure reg numbers to prevent the internet at large identifying it, mostly as a precaution.
There is always a small risk of someone looking for a car for online that matches theirs and cloning the number, but I don't think it really extends to to people scouring car parks for matching cars, and it's even less likely to be caused by parking next to someone.

I parked next to a car the same model/colour as mine once, then spent a while wondering why I couldn't get the door to open before realising it had the wrong number of doors.


So I'd probably avoid parking next to an identical car to avoid confusion, but nothing to do with the reg numbers or any potential scams.

Netwizard

I don't see the point blurring the reg number out on the internet.

What is the point? If your out and about in the car, hundreds of people will see your number plate daily. You wouldn't put tape over it if you were driving down the motorway on your morning commute!

If some scally wants to clone your car, they will find a way to do it anyway

uknick

Herzlos wrote: »

I parked next to a car the same model/colour as mine once, then spent a while wondering why I couldn't get the door to open before realising it had the wrong number of doors.

My friend did this in the 1980s with a Renault. He managed to open the car and we got in. I only realised the error when I reached for a cassette to play and it was not there. First thought was that he'd been robbed. Then noticed it wasn't his car.

We carefully got out, locked it and then got into his car that was parked a few cars down.

Nodding_Donkey

I took the wrong motorbike home from spectating at Snetterton circuit in my youth (1977). It was only when my step-father saw it in the garage and asked where my bike was I noticed. A helpful copper contacted the owner for me and we met up to swap back.

AdrianC

Netwizard wrote: »

I don't see the point blurring the reg number out on the internet.

Never underestimate contagious paranoia...

If some scally wants to clone your car, they will find a way to do it anyway

And they won't necessarily be overly bothered about matching make/model/colour, either.

A few years ago, I was in an office, gazing merrily out the window. A white Vauxhall/Renault/Nissan van pulled up, right next to the motorbike parking bays. The sliding door opened, two guys leapt out, grabbed an R6 that was chained up (but not to anything), lobbed it in the van, leapt in after it, and shot off. All in about three seconds flat.

Turns out I wasn't the only one gazing out, either. Four people all wrote down the exact same registration on the van... which turned out to belong to a blue Kia hatch.

cootuk

If I see the same make/model in a car park, I specifically DO park next to it to keep mine company. Quite amusing when you occassionally get a line of them.
As for blurring number plates, probably an urban myth that scallies constantly search the internet for plates to clone, but I guess it probably has happened a few times.

phill99

There was an article on watchdog some time ago about a lady lived in the midlands who put her car on auto trader without blurring the reg plate. She then got masses of parking tickets and congestion charge demands from London, where she had never taken a car. Someone had used her number on an identical car. She ended up having to get a solicitor involved as TFL wouldn't accept her story.

So it does happen.

AdrianC

phill99 wrote: »

There was an article on watchdog some time ago

DailyMail.tv

You'll excuse my scepticism.

cootuk

Before the internet, my parents' car was allegedly involved in an armed robbery. Exact make, model, and numberplate.
It seems that someone had trawled the local carparks until they found a match, though they hadn't stolen the actual plates off the car.
Plates will get cloned regardless of technology.

Herzlos

It's just the technology makes it a lot easier. It takes almost no effort to search for a make/model/colour/age and make up a plate with the first match that you find. But it takes a bit more effort to drive round until you find one.