Recent DVLA data revealed that 12,300 Brits between January 2021 and September 2022 received fines, penalties and letters for misdemeanours involving vehicles displaying their registration, which they did not recognise. (Statistics sourced by Platehunter.com, via the Freedom of Information Act).
A further look into the data reveals that reports of this crime have been on the rise in recent years, with 4,021 complaints occurring in 2018, 9,384 in 2019, and even 7,400 during the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Sales director for Platehunter.com, Jon Kirkbright, said: “People come to us because they’ve had the police on their doorstep asking why they made off from a garage without paying. Others have had speeding fines in London when they’ve never been there – all because someone has cloned their plate and used it to commit crimes.”
He warns that the data collected by Platehunter.com “indicates that vehicle cloning is a growing problem that causes major annoyance for innocent motorists. Sometimes it can be months before someone realises their plate has been cloned, by which time they’ve stacked up several penalties in different authorities.
“Getting a letter about speeding is bad enough but when you discover it wasn’t you behind the wheel and you’ve become embroiled in something that has nothing to do with you, it’s even worse. It also makes you question the security of your personal data – from email password to bank accounts.”
The increase in cases of cloned number plates correlates with an increase in the number of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. Criminals can choose a vehicle with no prior speeding tickets or fines and replicate the registration onto their own car. To make it more difficult for the police to catch them, they may copy the number plate of a similar make, model and colour.
Police advise that the quickest course of action to resolve a cloned plate is to inform the DVLA and change the registration plate immediately.
Platehunter.com, offers a service by which motorists may obtain a replacement registration plate.
Kirkbright said: “We’ve seen a 300% increase in the purchase of replacement car registration plates in the last 12 months. Buying a cheap number plate from platehunter.com will resolve all problems that come with having a number plate cloned. Best of all, it can be done the same day resulting in no further issues.”
For more information or help with a cloned plate, visit platehunter.com
The DVLA advises that any motorist who believes their vehicle has been cloned should contact the police, as well as the issuing authority of any fines or penalties they receive with appropriate evidence that shows their vehicle was not in the area at the time. For further advice on what to do if your vehicle has been cloned is published here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-registration-numbers-and-number-plates.
