HPI helps police track down violent car crime gang
HPI has played an instrumental role in helping the Metropolitan Police catch a violent car crime gang. In partnership with Exchange & Mart, HPI helped police track down the gang who made £1.2m by stealing dozens of cars, selling them on and then re-stealing them to sell on again. In some instances, the same cars were stolen and sold a staggering 6 times.
The gang was able to do this by committing the vehicle equivalent of identity theft – car cloning. Car cloning, an increasing problem in the used car arena, occurs when criminals replace the number plates and VIN of a stolen vehicle with that of an almost identical model, effectively erasing any record of the theft. In this case, it allowed the gang to steal the same vehicle over and over again to sell on to unsuspecting buyers.
The leader of the gang, Nokhiaz Khan set-up a false car dealership under the name of Metropolitan Recovery to provide a cover for his gang’s illegal activities. HPI was able to provide invaluable assistance in shutting down Khan’s operation as part of their continuing work with police forces around the country to combat all types of vehicle fraud. As Khan and his gang only wanted the identities of vehicles that had a clean history, they would perform an HPI Check on any suitable identity before using it for one of their stolen vehicles.
The Met passed on the registration numbers of the stolen vehicles to HPI, who then cross-referenced them with HPI Check requests on their system. One name kept coming up against the stolen registration numbers – Metropolitan Recovery. Armed with this information, the police were able to connect the gang to the stolen vehicles and begin working to stop them.
He and four gang members have been convicted for their part in the four-year crime wave, while Khan pleaded guilty to fraud involving 37 cars. The gang used classified publications, like Exchange & Mart, to sell on the cars. Explains Nick Lindsay, Director of HPI; “This gang mistakenly thought they could use industry tools to their advantage. However, by working closely together, HPI, Exchange & Mart and the Police have proved that the industry is more than a match for even the most sophisticated thieves.”
“This case offers a clear warning to used car criminals and shows the industry’s commitment to clamping down on the fraudsters,” adds Debra Healy, Digital Director from Exchange & Mart. “The growth of online buying and selling or used cars has been phenomenal, but the risks to the buyer remain. As a founding member of the Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group (VSTAG), working alongside the Metropolitan Police, we urge all used car buyers to be vigilant, conduct the right checks and take every measure to protect themselves from the unscrupulous.”
Exchange & Mart is enhancing its site to offer even greater security against fraudsters. This includes ensuring vehicle registration details are provided by the advertiser, which will continually be checked throughout the life of the ad to ensure the vehicle is legitimate. In addition, the address of the credit card holder will also be checked against the details provided.
The HPI Check will confirm a vehicle’s history, including if the car is stolen, has outstanding finance, a mileage discrepancy, and if it has been an insurance write-off. It also offers cover of up to £30,000 and is the only history check guarantee to provide cover for cloned vehicles.
Concludes Lindsay: “Both consumers and dealers can become a victim of car fraudsters, so we advise private buyers and those in the trade to conduct checks. And even if the person you are buying from says they have done an HPI Check or shows you a HPI Certificate, do one of your own so that you are protected by the guarantee. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
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