'Before owning, check for cloning' - Stolen Audi sold to unsuspecting driver caught in Brierley Hill

Officers from West Midlands Police's traffic team used tactics to stop the cloned vehicle in Brierley Hill, Dudley this morning (March 15). 

It later transpired that the vehicle was stolen and sold to the driver, who believed they were making a valid purchase - prompting a police warning to other drivers. 

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, officers wrote: "#RoadCrimeTeam officers stopped this cloned Audi in Merry Hill using tactics to avoid a pursuit. 

"It turned out the car was stolen & had been sold to an innocent purchaser who will now lose their money. ***Please do extensive checks when buying cars to avoid this happening to you."

'Before owning, check for cloning' 

Vehicle cloning is the illegal practice of changing a vehicle's identity, typically by swapping out its number plates with those from another, often stolen, vehicle. The cloned vehicle essentially takes on the identity of the legitimate one, making it harder to track or identify.

Drivers should always double-check the VIN and engine numbers when buying a vehicle can help ensure that it hasn’t been cloned and is properly identified, the West Midlands Police website states. 

The DVLA V5 document is a registration document that contains important details about a vehicle, including its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). 

The VIN is a unique code used to identify individual vehicles, much like a fingerprint. It's crucial to check that the VIN displayed on the vehicle matches what is written on the V5 document.

It's also important to check the engine number, another unique identifier for the vehicle. This can help spot any inconsistencies between the vehicle's true identity and the paperwork, reducing the risk of buying a cloned vehicle.