Federal funding to combat enterprising criminals who are stealing vehicle identification numbers and selling cars with them is not available to states this year.
“Funding was not requested by anyone, and we have issues of higher priority,” said Melissa Schwartz, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., chairwoman of the Commerce Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that passes bills to fund the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.
States have to get federal resources for the system, which gives states access to title history, odometer data, brand history data and theft data, through the U.S. Department of Justice, which receives aid from Mikulski?s subcommittee, said Jason King, spokesman for the American Association of Motor Vehicles Administrators.
“In total, 14 states can access vehicle title history online and in real time, but we really need all of them on board,” he said.
The online tracking system that would allow states to see in real time if a VIN is registered in another state emerged from the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992.
“Today what we have is a paper title, and people will steal a car and create a fake vehicle with a new VIN and sell it to someone else,” King said. “But if we
had the paperwork online, we would have electronic real time history.”
A car owner will have no way of knowing that his or her VIN has been cloned until the car is registered in the same state where a clone exists and the insurer discovers the duplicate VIN.
But many times the thieves will sell the car out of state to avoid being detected because states do not integrate title histories, said Trooper Pietanza, spokesman for the Maryland State Police Auto Theft Unit.
“Some technology like transponder keys has hurt auto thieves that 10 years ago could break your ignition and use a screw driver to start the car,” he said. “Butthat only slowed down the everyday street guy stealing cars. Thieves have innovated themselves. As technology has gotten better, they have grown with it.”
TIPS
To avoid buying a cloned vehicle:
» Check the vehicle identification number with the state bureau of motor vehicles
» Analyze ownership patterns and conduct title history searches
» Be careful purchasing from newspaper ads or someone using a cell phone number
» Have an insurer inspect the vehicle
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau
