How to sort your plates being cloned (parking fine)?

superstylin

cpbackhouse said:

Been fortunate and not had this happen to me (yet) but I have wondered .... If this did happen is a way out of this to buy the cheapest personalised plate I can find and put it on my car? What happens to my existing number plate when I do this? Would it stop being associated with me and stop the fines coming my way?
I admit possibly not the most moneysaving way to go but wondering if it might be a solution if it ever happened.

Your new personalised plate with your details would be held alongside your old plate on the Police National Computer. So if another car was using that old plate it would still link back to you, but you would be able to advise that's it's no longer in use by yourself.

In theory you would still have to prove that it was not you/your car responsible for tickets/fines/crimes as you could easily switch plates. Police could utilise ANPR to check that both plates were in use at the same time in different areas though. 

B0bbyEwing

Goudy said:

First thing is to report it to the police before anything else crops up.
They should issue a crime number which you will need when dealing with any fine issuers.

It happened to me and it's a pain.
I kept getting non payment of congestion charge notices, around 3 a week for about 6 weeks.

The car in the images were almost identical to mine, same model, same colour, same wheels. The only different was mine had a towbar and the ball poked up over the rear number plate slightly.

Each time I had to make contact and supply the crime number, all fines were quashed pretty much instantly once I read them the crime number but you might want to try and collect some evidence of where you were in the meantime.
Most smartphones will have GPS location data and store where you (your phone) was, like Google Maps Timelines.

Now contact DVLA and report that your plates have been cloned to them.
They will record this on their system so it flags up to anyone requesting the keeper details on that reg number in case anyone else requests keeper details of your vehicle.

It doesn't usually last too long, the scrote's know they have tripped cameras or racked up the odd fine and they know you'll report the problem to the police so they won't want to chance it too long.

I suggested the phone and timeline thing. On my phone which is an android it shows where I was and when. 

Or rather where the phone was and when. Not sure if this difference would make the whole thing irrelevant or not. 

But the person who I'm asking for has an iPhone and how I've told them I access this feature - they don't seem to have it. 

Is it an android only thing then?


Also I suggested proof of other location such as work record. Turns out this happened on a Saturday. Typical. 

Relative was with her boyfriend at his place, left her car at his & went to another city in his car. 

Herzlos

superstylin said:

cpbackhouse said:

Been fortunate and not had this happen to me (yet) but I have wondered .... If this did happen is a way out of this to buy the cheapest personalised plate I can find and put it on my car? What happens to my existing number plate when I do this? Would it stop being associated with me and stop the fines coming my way?
I admit possibly not the most moneysaving way to go but wondering if it might be a solution if it ever happened.

Your new personalised plate with your details would be held alongside your old plate on the Police National Computer. So if another car was using that old plate it would still link back to you, but you would be able to advise that's it's no longer in use by yourself.

In theory you would still have to prove that it was not you/your car responsible for tickets/fines/crimes as you could easily switch plates. Police could utilise ANPR to check that both plates were in use at the same time in different areas though. 

The PNC can't tell that it's been removed from current use, and thus trigger an ANPR stop?

DanDare999

NBLondon said:

superstylin said:

Contact the issuer(s) of the fines/tickets advising them it was not your vehicle and give evidence where able. 

Inform the DVLA who should update your vehicle's record and then contact the police who can update the intelligence/markers on vehicle registration and put info on to stop vehicle to check documents and drivers. They could record a crime of fraud as it's potentially causing you a loss and them a gain of sorts. They're unlikely to investigate it though if no evidence of offender and potentially not proportionate.

This is the simple advice - plus have a copy of your docs with you (or good picture on phone) just in case ANPR pings you in the real car.

It happened to me last year.  Very easy to disprove as the cars were different colours and one look at the V5 by an actual human being tells you which is genuine.

Why do you need a copy of your docs?

If you're stopped the police can check everything contained on them. 

superstylin

Herzlos said:

superstylin said:

cpbackhouse said:

Been fortunate and not had this happen to me (yet) but I have wondered .... If this did happen is a way out of this to buy the cheapest personalised plate I can find and put it on my car? What happens to my existing number plate when I do this? Would it stop being associated with me and stop the fines coming my way?
I admit possibly not the most moneysaving way to go but wondering if it might be a solution if it ever happened.

Your new personalised plate with your details would be held alongside your old plate on the Police National Computer. So if another car was using that old plate it would still link back to you, but you would be able to advise that's it's no longer in use by yourself.

In theory you would still have to prove that it was not you/your car responsible for tickets/fines/crimes as you could easily switch plates. Police could utilise ANPR to check that both plates were in use at the same time in different areas though. 

The PNC can't tell that it's been removed from current use, and thus trigger an ANPR stop?

Not automatically no, but police can put a marker on the PNC requiring it to be stopped if it hits ANPR. Whether it is actually stopped (or is required to be stopped) depends on whether an officer is available or nearby and whether they consider it proportionate. It'd be more likely if the vehicle was believed to be involved in serious crime. 

B0bbyEwing

Well she's tried DVLA this morning but no joy. 

She can't get through to speak to someone directly (not sure if she's using the correct number or not) 
She said there's a live chat feature which she used but is no good as they say they can't do anything without a signature so she should write to them, 4 weeks, blah blah. 

NBLondon

DanDare999 said:

Why do you need a copy of your docs?

If you're stopped the police can check everything contained on them. 

Easiest way to quickly prove that you are driving the genuine version as the genuine RK.   In theory they should check before stopping you and not need to - but when TfL and a London borough both failed to check the details before sending me a ticket I wouldn't rely on that.

DanDare999

NBLondon said:

DanDare999 said:

Why do you need a copy of your docs?

If you're stopped the police can check everything contained on them. 

Easiest way to quickly prove that you are driving the genuine version as the genuine RK.   In theory they should check before stopping you and not need to - but when TfL and a London borough both failed to check the details before sending me a ticket I wouldn't rely on that.

How do they know it's the genuine vehicle and who is driving it before stopping it?

NBLondon

DanDare999 said:

NBLondon said:

DanDare999 said:

Why do you need a copy of your docs?

If you're stopped the police can check everything contained on them. 

Easiest way to quickly prove that you are driving the genuine version as the genuine RK.   In theory they should check before stopping you and not need to - but when TfL and a London borough both failed to check the details before sending me a ticket I wouldn't rely on that.

How do they know it's the genuine vehicle and who is driving it before stopping it?

I dunno what it actually says on the ANPR alert...  but in my case the clone was white and the genuine car is mid-grey so if the alert tells them that they don't need to stop me at all.  If the alert just says stop plate XXXXXX  then they can stop me; check the V5 properly and see the colour of the car, RK name and address.   Then I show them my DL and my photo of the V5 which matches up.    Which is why I suggested having that info at hand in case there's a stop.

Maybe they can do it without me having docs and just correctly reciting my name and address - but if the cloner was somebody who knew me they'd be able to lie, wouldn't they?  Hence my suggestion of having docs available to make it easier for the police to check and let me carry on.

Hasn't actually happened so I'm surmising.

DanDare999

NBLondon said:

DanDare999 said:

NBLondon said:

DanDare999 said:

Why do you need a copy of your docs?

If you're stopped the police can check everything contained on them. 

Easiest way to quickly prove that you are driving the genuine version as the genuine RK.   In theory they should check before stopping you and not need to - but when TfL and a London borough both failed to check the details before sending me a ticket I wouldn't rely on that.

How do they know it's the genuine vehicle and who is driving it before stopping it?

I dunno what it actually says on the ANPR alert...  but in my case the clone was white and the genuine car is mid-grey so if the alert tells them that they don't need to stop me at all.  If the alert just says stop plate XXXXXX  then they can stop me; check the V5 properly and see the colour of the car, RK name and address.   Then I show them my DL and my photo of the V5 which matches up.    Which is why I suggested having that info at hand in case there's a stop.

Maybe they can do it without me having docs and just correctly reciting my name and address - but if the cloner was somebody who knew me they'd be able to lie, wouldn't they?  Hence my suggestion of having docs available to make it easier for the police to check and let me carry on.

Hasn't actually happened so I'm surmising.

It won’t tell them who’s driving therefore it would need to be stopped. It’s a poor clone if it’s a different colour entirely but having said that some of the new names for the VW/Audi range are nothing like they suggest. 

The police will have access to everything on you log book and licence including a photo so no need to sweat if you don’t have them.