How cloning works
A cloned car wears the plates of a legitimate identical car to hide that it's stolen. The thief copies a real car's identity, so the plate on its own tells you very little. Check the car against its own record instead.
Start with the make, model, colour and engine, and compare them with the reg record. If the colour or engine doesn't match what's on record, don't ignore it. Then check the VIN. It's 17 characters and appears on the windscreen, the door pillar and the V5C. All three should match each other and the car in front of you.
A Full Check at £9.99 shows plate changes, colour changes and the VIN, so it can catch a swapped identity that looks right on the day. Wrong or misleading plates can bring a fine of up to £1,000. Run a car history check before you pay.
How to spot it
Start with the registration. Check the make, model, colour and engine against the reg record, and walk away if any of them don't match. A free car check shows the MOT history and mileage for the reg. For colour changes and plate changes, a Full Check (£9.99) is the one to run.
Next, check the VIN. It's 17 characters and sits in three places: on the windscreen, on the door pillar and on the V5C. All three must match. VINs never use the letters I, O or Q, so any of those is a red flag. The V5C shows the registered keeper, not the legal owner, so check the name and address match the seller's ID.
Watch the price and the seller. A price that looks too good usually is a warning sign. Walk away if the seller: - won't let you see the car where it's kept - can't produce a V5C that matches their ID - wants cash only or rushes you to pay - seems unsure about the car's history
If your own car is cloned
If you get fines or letters for a car you don't recognise, don't ignore them. Someone may be running a copy of your registration, and the penalties will keep coming to you until it's sorted. Act on it straight away.
Check your own car first. Run your registration through our free car check and look for an MOT or mileage record you don't recognise. Then compare your V5C with the car on your drive: make, model, colour and engine should all match.
- Report it to the police and keep every letter and fine.
- Tell the DVLA about the car you don't recognise.
Whoever is using the copied plates can face a fine of up to £1,000 for wrong or misleading plates. For anything that affects you personally, check with the right body: the DVLA, your insurer or Citizens Advice.