Car dealers in the eastern half of the United States are urged to extensively scrutinize their purchases of high-end vehicles from individuals with foreign passports.
Investigators continue to work cases connected to individuals with possible ties to Romania involving stolen vehicles and fraudulent vehicle identification numbers and titles. The cases involving more than 100 vehicles have defrauded dealers and consumers of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to investigators.
Using sophisticated counterfeit documents, the bad actors have targeted chain dealerships and single-shop operations.
Cases have been reported along the entire East Coast, from New York to Florida, as well as in Michigan and Tennessee.
In some cases, counterfeit VINs have been used on vehicles, including cloning actual VINs from other vehicles and putting them on a matching model of a stolen vehicle. There is also concern with GPS devices being used on some of the vehicles, and the bad actors stealing the vehicles after selling them to repeat the fraud.
Due diligence is key to ensuring your transactions are not illicit. Check the VIN and vehicle history reports completely to note discrepancies in paint colors that may uncover a fraudulent transaction. Inquire about sourcing, require all necessary paperwork and confirm authenticity to the best of your ability.
