The Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) - More people are getting ripped-off by thieves who slap a legitimate vehicle identification number on a stolen car before selling it and disappearing, authorities said.
Some auto thieves have admitted switching up to 20 VINs in a month, police say. And investigators say they’ve become overwhelmed by the car thefts committed through the decades old number switching scam.
“These guys are quick. Every time we find a way to plug the hole, they find a way around it,” said Phoenix police Lt. Lisa Messina, who heads the department’s auto theft unit.
Those who fall for the scheme end up being revictimzed when the vehicles they bought are sized by authorities, leaving many without transportation.
“For us, it’s a massive increase in workload and the families dealing with this aren’t wealthy people who can just go out and buy a new car. It’s got to be tough on any family,” said Phoenix police Detective Zeke Green.
The paperwork on the clunky pickup Benito and Guadalupe Lopez bought with their savings of $2,000 appeared to be in order. MVD officials didn’t mention anything when they asked for a VIN inspection the day after the sale. Even a year later, when they updated the title and registration, no one at the state office said that the truck was stolen.
But they learned their truck wasn’t really theirs one night last month when police confronted Guadalupe and her children in Phoenix.
“This was the most humiliating thing that has ever happened in my life,” Guadalupe said.
Usually, car crooks obtain a legitimate title and get a VIN from a vehicle, often one found at a junkyard. They steal a vehicle that closely matches the car they lifted the VIN from. Thieves then take off the dashboard or windshield to attach the new number. Sometimes, they also peel stickers containing the VIN from the vehicle’s doors to hide the scam.
It’s a crime that can be prevented by taking a vehicle to the state Motor Vehicle Division and requesting a VIN inspection before buying it. Authorities advise that if the seller doesn’t want go to the MVD, the buyer should walk away from the deal.
Despite automobile thefts going down statewide, Arizona still holds the top per capita ranking in the nation for auto thefts.
Car thieves stole 18,718 vehicles in Phoenix worth a total of $124 million last year.