(iSeeCars) - Imagine someone stealing your car’s Social Security Number. That is essentially what VIN cloning does: a thief copies the 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from a legitimate car and grafts it onto a stolen, salvaged, or otherwise problematic vehicle. Because every registration, recall, and insurance record hinges on that number, the duplicate VIN lets the criminal car slip through title offices and online marketplaces looking squeaky clean.

Under federal law, including the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System Act, VIN cloning is a felony that can result in up to 15 years in prison, plus hefty fines. The offense strikes at the integrity of the nation’s entire vehicle-tracking system, endangering consumers and undermining law-enforcement databases.

How do

See Full Page