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Number plate cloning on the rise as thieves try to swerve Ulez charges

Ulez sign in London
Ulez sign in London

Thousands of car owners are having their number plates cloned as criminals seek to avoid the big expansion in clean air zones and low traffic neighbourhoods.

Copying a licence plate allows a fraudster to drive with impunity meaning they can ignore speed cameras, and avoid charges when entering the Mayor of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) and congestion areas.

If they are caught by camera breaking the law, the fine or Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) is sent to the unsuspecting owner of the vehicle who then has to try to prove it was not their car involved in the offence.

Recent data suggests there are around 13,000 cases of cloning being reported each year in England and Wales up from 4,000 in 2018.

Motoring experts believe the vast expansion in the use of road side cameras is largely to blame for the increase, with criminals who clone able to avoid thousands of pounds in fines and charges.

Extremely difficult for police to catch

In order to clone a number plate the fraudster can simply identify a vehicle that closely resembles the make, model and age of their own.

They will then arrange to have a fake plate made up with the same registration number as the car they are cloning.

While number plates can only be legally supplied by a DVLA registered company there are criminals operating on the black market.

The scam makes it extremely difficult for the police to catch the criminal, even if they are using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

In many cases victims are being advised that the best course of action is to re-register their car with the DVLA, using a personalised number plate.

But this can be expensive and is not foolproof as there have been cases where the new private plate has also been cloned by the same criminals.

'Cloning is getting worse'

Simon Williams, spokesman for the RAC, said: “Number plate cloning is certainly on the increase and it is all related to ANPR and all the enforcement actions taking place.

“In some cities there are now congestion zones and in London there is the ULEZ which charges £12.50 a day for non compliant vehicles. The ULEZ zone is due to expand later this year and so there is an incentive for criminals to clone rather than pay.

“Cloning is the enemy of the modern motorist and unfortunately it is getting worse.”

The scam can also make the roads more dangerous because it allows those using cloned vehicles to drive at excessive speeds without fear of being flashed by a camera and fined.

The driver of a cloned car could easily rack up thousands of pounds in speeding fines but the authorities stand little chance of being able to track them down.

It is only when a cloned vehicle is actually stopped by the police in suspicious circumstances, that the fake plates and previous activities of the vehicle can be identified.

'Make your car distinctive'

Organised crime groups have also been found to have cloned car plates in order to allow them to carry out their activities without arousing suspicion.

Dr Ken German, a retired police officer and now a vehicle crime consultant, said the problem was creating a headache for the police but was an even bigger nightmare for the victim.

He said: “It can be a horrible feeling to be placed in this situation particularly if you have never been in trouble before. Suddenly you find yourself accused of all sorts of driving offences when you know you have not done anything wrong.

“My advice would be for people to change the appearance of their vehicle to make it distinctive. Perhaps placing a sticker in the window or something that can be picked out by a camera. That way you can easily show that the car involved in the offences does not match yours.

“The other option of course is to invest in a tracker device which can be fitted to your car and not only protect it from theft but also can be used to show exactly where your car is at a specific time.”

A DVLA spokesman said if there was evidence two vehicles were displaying the same registration plate they could provide an alternative licence number without a fee, but the driver would need to pay to have the plate made up.