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Newer car: VIN NUMBER - WARNING
I got this in an e-mail from a valued friend. Is this possible ?
VIN NUMBER - WARNING Here is INFO worth the price of your car.... WHAT WILL the car thieves THINK OF NEXT? The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle,write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #. I didn't believe this e-mail, so I called Chrysler-Dodge and pretended I had lost my keys. They told me to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the keyless device if I wanted. The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will return to your car. He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is walk up to your car, insert the key and off he goes to a local chop shop with your vehicle. You don't believe it? It IS that EASY. To avoid this from happening to you, simply put some dark tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Number Metal Label located on the dashboard. By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you CAN cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield by a car thief. I urge you to forward this to your friends before some other car thief steals another car or truck. I slipped a 3x5 card over my VIN NUMBER. PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS NOW!!!!! |
The dealer is supposed to ask you for a copy of your registration before making a key.
Mike |
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Just another reason to restore a classic.
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I drive a '79 Ford pick up every day. The wife drives a 2001 Olds. I'm not saying it can't happen, but there's a lot cooler cars out there to steal than ours.
That's good stuff though. ...and it IS that easy. While the dealer is supposed to ask for registration, this scam is new enough that they don't yet. |
when ever i needed a copy of a key made from a dealer they always ask me for the title or reg for the car. i find this so hard to believe that they can do this with out one of the two documents
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My newer everyday drivers most people would not want but the oldies is a different story. I dont know what I will do about my 72 Chevy truck when it comes home from the body shop someday and becomes my daily driver as it would be very easy to steal and classic insurance wont cover it because it will be daily driven and not garage kept. My 96 Ford Explorer will then be retired in some manner.
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I can see this e-mail as raising valid concerns. |
About 2 years ago, I lost the keys to my '00 Silverado... dealer then cut them with no paperwork required.
I recently lost the keys to my '99 Intrigue... had to bring the title and my drivers license to get a new key made. New state law, they need to keep photo-copies of the registration and drivers license for their records. If they cut keys for a car that gets stolen, and don't have any records to show verification, they can get in big trouble. |
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Derek that sounds like a great way for the dealership to cover their butt.
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I did a little searching and found this:
Vin Numbers and Car Thieves A chain letter circulating claims that you should cover the VIN number of your car so that car thieves can't use it to duplicate your keys and steal your car. Is it possible that a thief could use the VIN number to get duplicate keys for your car? Yes, it is possible. However, unless they find a car dealer who is willing to order them without a title or registration plus ID, then the VIN number alone will do them very little good. Now, granted some car dealerships may replace keys without proper ID, but not many. It is also true that there have been some car theft rings that were very sophisticated and could forge a new title that would look legit. Since making a new title that doesn't look suspicious, then showing up in-person at a reputable dealership to trick them into duplicating keys is a bold and risky move, it seems unlikely a thief would want to put himself in such a vulnerable position. If you look into it there are very few examples of car theft rings operating in this way. The latest example, in Atlanta, was targeting high end vehicles at dealerships rather than those in private ownership (presumably because the target vehicle is more likely to be in the same spot for a longer period of time). Key Point: The vast majority of cars are not stolen this way. The two most common tools for stealing your car are your own keys, or a screwdriver. I've seen several sites that claim that at least 70 percent of the car thefts are by non-professionals. Your car's VIN number is your best protection for getting the vehicle back. It should probably be written or scratched into your car in more places, not less. I visited many law enforcement sites about car theft and they say nothing about covering your VIN number to discourage thieves, but instead these sites encourage you to write your VIN number all over the car, including on your most valuable car parts and etching it onto all the windows of the vehicle. After a car is stolen, if the thief wants to resell the car, then the first thing a car thief wants to do is get rid of the old VIN number and replace it with a new one. They will create a title to go with it and then resell (fence) the vehicle. Many law enforcement officials believe that thieves will not steal any vehicle that has the VIN number etched on all the windows because they will have to replace these windows before they can get rid of your car. This will cost them a great deal of money and significantly slow the turn around on processing your car and fencing it. If you etch the number on the car parts it will make chopping it more time consuming. You can make up your own mind. Although, covering the VIN number might give you peace of mind it is unlikely to protect you from most thieves. This page last updated 04/20/2011 |
Thank you Brian. Like I said I received this from a trusted friend. And now a days anything is possible. I am glad that you found an answer to this.
Again, Thank you Brian. |
So reading that source and readin Snopes http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/vin.asp it seems the "possibility" of getting a car stolen this way is high but the "proba bility" is low .... in that the old methods are more often used ...... but it seems to me, like the taking of an in-expensive baby aspirin to avoid a heart attack, putting a piece of tape over the vin number would do more good than harm .... I am going for it! I promise to let everyone know if my car gets stolen! LOL
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