What can they do with your numbers?
Mr Whippy - 12/7/12 at 12:21 PM
I was wondering just what people can do with your registration number? or even your chassis number
Often we blank them out in photo's but what does that achieve and how is it any different to seeing all the license plates on the road everyday?
I recently got asked by an ebay seller to give my cars chassis number, which I didn't do as it seemed odd to need that for what I was needing and
being not sure if they could use that to some other dodgy purpose
These days I'm very wary of giving information at all to folk I don't know, there seems to be so many scams going on. I once placed an ad in
Piston Heads which included my email address and the next thing I know some sod has just spend £50 on a pizza using my PayPal account and didn't
even need my password!!! 
designer - 12/7/12 at 12:33 PM
Is it not possible to get a new logbook from the DVLA with just a chassis number?
loggyboy - 12/7/12 at 12:42 PM
its possible to get a new log book with a numberplate! You just use a V62 form.
Its fairly commonr for cloning of cars to take place, just with a copy of a real cars plate being put on, this avoids the basic ANPR issues as the
cloned car would show up as taxed/insured/motd etc, but would be untracable to the person who had cloned it. You just need the plate of a car that
matches (make colour etc).
As for VIN, thats a little more serious and less likely to be done by your casual pikey wanting to bilk, but neverless always worth blocking out IMO.
scootz - 12/7/12 at 12:43 PM
Some naughty folk have been known to note down the numbers of cars that are the same model / colour as their own and then get a set of plates made up
to use when out shoplifting / nicking fuel / etc.
MRLuke - 12/7/12 at 12:58 PM
You can get the MOT history from the vin code.
AndyW - 12/7/12 at 01:22 PM
I always ask for the vin to do an HPI check. I always said thats whats its for. If they refuse to give it I either dont bother with the car or simply
make a note of it when viewing.
Thats because Im honest (Honestly!
)
RichardK - 12/7/12 at 02:11 PM
Aren't vin codes now on display on new cars throught the windscreen too?
morcus - 12/7/12 at 02:27 PM
I find it really annoying when car adds don't have the number plate as it's the easiest way to get more info on the car and personally I
don't think there's that much risk as some people seem to think. Looking for someone else the other day I found a car advert with blanked
out plates which failed to mention what engine the car had, what gear box and alot of othe vital info, and had no pictures of the inside that you
could use to tell, if I had the plate I could easilly find these things out.
cliftyhanger - 12/7/12 at 03:55 PM
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
its possible to get a new log book with a numberplate! You just use a V62 form.
Not so, they need VIN too these days.
adithorp - 12/7/12 at 06:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
its possible to get a new log book with a numberplate! You just use a V62 form.
Not so, they need VIN too these days.
...and it'll be sent the the registered keepers address.
Lots of comments about what can be done with the number but no answer to the question. Whats the difference between seeing the number in a photo'
on the web and seeing it in the street?
JoelP - 12/7/12 at 06:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
its possible to get a new log book with a numberplate! You just use a V62 form.
Not so, they need VIN too these days.
...and it'll be sent the the registered keepers address.
Lots of comments about what can be done with the number but no answer to the question. Whats the difference between seeing the number in a photo'
on the web and seeing it in the street?
None, except its easier to find a specific car on ebay rather than waiting for one to drive past. I could find several cars identical to mine in less
than 5 mins on ebay, would take a whole day sat on a busy road.
Liam - 12/7/12 at 09:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I once placed an ad in Piston Heads which included my email address and the next thing I know some sod has just spend £50 on a pizza using my PayPal
account and didn't even need my password!!!
Slightly OT, but you started it
But what??!! How on earth is that possible? Surely your paypal account must have been compromised somehow else?
Mr Whippy - 12/7/12 at 11:53 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Liam
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I once placed an ad in Piston Heads which included my email address and the next thing I know some sod has just spend £50 on a pizza using my PayPal
account and didn't even need my password!!!
Slightly OT, but you started it But what??!! How on earth is that possible? Surely your paypal account must have been compromised somehow else?
tbh I have no idea how they got into my accounts, my password is so nuts it would be impossible to guess but the money came out for a pizza just after
(same day) I posted the ad. I complained to paypal and they refunded the money no questions asked but I was so unimpressed I closed the account and
now just give the wife the money so she can buy things I want on ebay for me 
coyoteboy - 13/7/12 at 12:40 AM
No, there's absolutely no point in hiding the VIN or plates, they're available every single day on every single modern car (the VIN is, by
law, on display through the windscreen).
Anyone smart wanting to clone a car will do so locally to ensure it's assumed to be the other persons car. This is fairly well confirmed by two
identical cars that crashed into each other near my old house...