Vehicle identity fraud targets second-hand market

A fraudulent practice known as “change” is targeting the second-hand vehicle market, where the identity information of scrapped, damaged, or illegally imported vehicles is transferred to other cars. This is achieved by cutting and welding the section containing the chassis number or by stamping high-quality copies that are nearly impossible to distinguish from the original.

Expert Sami Tarcan warns that these professional manipulations are difficult to detect during routine inspections. He notes that many inspection stations only check if the chassis number matches the vehicle records rather than verifying its authenticity. Furthermore, Tarcan claims that approximately 95% of auto inspection firms do not check for this specific type of fraud unless a customer purchases a specialized, extra-cost inspection package.

Victims of this scheme may face significant legal and financial consequences, as vehicles identified as “change” cars can be confiscated by authorities even years after the initial purchase.