CPS lay charges for VIN cloning!

[spikerS]

taken from the CPS facebook page:


Collector Car Sold Illegally

Our Auto Theft Unit has charged a man in relation to vehicle cloning.

In May 2014, an off-duty member of the Auto Theft Unit with an interest in mechanics and collector cars was at a local vehicle auction when he saw a 1962 Chevrolet Impala convertible that he recognized.

He believed the vehicle had been written off as non-repairable by its previous owner after being damaged by the High River flood in June 2013.

Based on the damage to the vehicle, it could not legally be repaired or registered.

It is alleged that the car had then been purchased from a salvage company and the vehicle identification number (VIN) changed using the VIN from a similar car, to hide the true identity and damage history. It is also alleged that a false bill of sale and out of province inspection certificate had been produced and used to register the car in Alberta.

Following an investigation, Youssef Yangui, of Calgary, was charged with one count each of uttering a forged document, tampering with a vehicle identification number and fraudulent concealment.

Flood damaged vehicles are extremely unsafe and cannot be repaired.

Water damages a vehicle’s electrical components including its airbags, antilock brake system, stability control, heating and cooling systems and even its braking, acceleration and steering.

We encourage consumers to take the following steps prior to purchasing a motor vehicle:
• Ask for and take note of government issued identification from the seller
• Do a Carproof or Carfax check on the vehicle. If the vehicle is showing as being registered in another province or country – ask more questions. If the vehicle is showing salvage or junk title – ask more questions.
• Look at the public VIN (lower left dashboard) and compare how the VIN looks to another similar vehicle.
• Compare the public VIN to the federal certification label on the driver’s door frame. The VIN should be the same. The decal should not show any signs of peeling.
• Take the vehicle to a car dealership and have them conduct checks.
• Check the VIN on www.cpic-cipc.ca to see if the vehicle is listed as stolen.

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/10380231_10152460207914530_9059103447015337507_o.jpg

Interesting to see this. It has got to be really hard to catch these clones.

[GQBalla]

where there's money to be made, people can and will find a way.

Sad but this happens a lot

[schocker]

They almost got away with it too, so you have to wonder all the others that have :nut:
Good on the cop for remembering

[xnvy]

Except when you have older cars like that, with antiquated or non-existent electronics systems, or when you strip a car to track it, does the flood damage matter so much? Honest question.

Still, good on CPS for catching this scumbag. Maybe they'll start catching mileage scammers next.

[Darell_n]

Exactly. What's flood damage to a 60+ year old car? I'd buy that shit in a heartbeat. Change all the fluids and giddy up.

[Modelexis]

I like how a cop finally does his job for once and it makes the news.

[carson blocks]

I hate the idea of non-repairable VINs on classic and special interest cars. Anything can be brought back, and as was mentioned above, a lot of the older iron wouldn't be nearly as hard to correct flood damage as new cars. Now that nice solid looking old Impala is going to have to be parted / crushed instead of being driven and enjoyed. Also, purchasing a VIN tag isn't exactly unheard of when doing a ground up build with a legitimately acquired vin-less shell or using a reproduction or fiberglass replacement body shell. I wonder where they're going to draw the line when it comes to prosecution.

[Graham_A_M]

^ Thats what Im doing, registering my '38 Chevy as an S10, since thats what the frame of it came from. I totally agree, that is a total waste of a good car/truck in these instances.

Flood damaged vehicles are extremely unsafe and cannot be repaired.

Water damages a vehicle’s electrical components including its airbags, antilock brake system, stability control, heating and cooling systems and even its braking, acceleration and steering.

Yet that car in question has all of none of those. Manual brakes, (possibly) power steering, a carb thats connected to a physical linkage assembly (nothing electrical there), and if you're lucky, AC. Whats the worst that can happen if the HVAC fails?

Yeah that car should in NO WAY be back on the city streets, I mean, god forbid the fan switch sticks to full power.... wow that could be a catastrophe.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Modelexis
I like how a cop finally does his job for once and it makes the news.
And exactly how do you know that locating scammed cars like this was this cop's job?

[G-ZUS]

Wow this guy lives 2 blocks from me and has been a car dealer forever.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by Modelexis
I like how a cop finally does his job for once and it makes the news.



Originally posted by speedog

And exactly how do you know that locating scammed cars like this was this cop's job?


IMHO. This should be amvic's job. Not an "off duty" (reading from article) car enthusiast cop at the auction on his personal time whom just happens to remember this particular vehicle that stood out in his mind.

Or maybe he just lost the bid. :winter:

[Modelexis]

Originally posted by speedog
And exactly how do you know that locating scammed cars like this was this cop's job?

Doesn't everyone usually chant the mantra that the job of all police is to uphold the law and recover stolen property and investigate fraudulent behavior and that police are never off duty?

I don't believe that bullocks but I'm just going off the popular opinion of what the job of a cop is.

Their real job seems to be to steal the most amount of money from the least violent citizens, so i guess that would make this cop an exception to the rule.

[corsvette]

Originally posted by G-ZUS
Wow this guy lives 2 blocks from me and has been a car dealer forever.

The names familiar (known as Joe) Likes old Caddys, if its the same guy i'm thinking of yeah he's been around the car biz forever.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Modelexis


Doesn't everyone usually chant the mantra that the job of all police is to uphold the law and recover stolen property and investigate fraudulent behavior and that police are never off duty?

I don't believe that bullocks but I'm just going off the popular opinion of what the job of a cop is.

Their real job seems to be to steal the most amount of money from the least violent citizens, so i guess that would make this cop an exception to the rule.
Off your meds again?

[spikerS]

Originally posted by speedog

Off your meds again?

Quit quoting him.

There is a reason I have him on ignore.

[g-m]

+1. Him and zenops

[speedog]

Really?

So now I have to guess who has who on ignore?

To this point in time I have exactly zero people on my ignore list as I find it easy enough to just skim past crud I don't wish to see or involve myself in.

BTW, sorry to all for going a bit askew here but to expect members to not quote other members is a bit ridiculous IMHO - grow a set.

[4WARNED]

I remember seeing that Impala at Impact insurance salvage auction - at first glance, it didn't appear to need a lot of work to get back on the road.
However, once the car is titled as AB NON REPAIRABLE, there's no legal way to get it back on the road. I remember thinking "someone will VIN swap it" and sure enough....here it is.

Shady.....

[speedog]

So who makes the determination if a vehicle is declared non-repairable (in this case) or a salvage title (repairable)?

Certainly this vehicle should have been repairable given it's vintage and most likely lack of electronics aside from a radio which is replaceable and isn't a safety device. Everything else in this vehicle is rebuild-able/repairable - even power steering/brakes (if in this vehicle) are repairable/replaceable.

Maybe there was more money in it (insurance payout?) for the vehicle's owner after the High River flood for it to be declared non-repairable versus salvage.

[mr2mike]

I would argue that it would be repairable too.
But still shady because it should be declared. Any car buff that knows cars would accept this but would want either more proof on the repairs (pictures).
Obviously, wouldn't garner full value still.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by speedog


Maybe there was more money in it (insurance payout?) for the vehicle's owner after the High River flood for it to be declared non-repairable versus salvage.

Non-repairable versus salvage makes no difference to the owner (insured). A write off is a write off, same payout.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit
Non-repairable versus salvage makes no difference to the owner (insured). A write off is a write off, same payout.
I know, I know, I'm quoting someone.

Moving on, it just seems silly to declare this old Chevy as non-repairable. I know rules are rules but one would like to think there could be some caveats in place depending on the vintage of the vehicle and the type of damages incurred.

[xnvy]

I agree.

My question earlier was borne out of a situation where someone bought a JDM WRX STI with the intention of building a rally car. He stripped it to the frame with the intention of rebuilding it only to discover it had a non-repairable title due to it being damaged in the floods.

And rally cars have to be street legal so it ended up just being a waste of a few thousand which really makes no sense when considering all the original components had been removed and tossed out.

[gretz]

Originally posted by xnvy
I agree.

My question earlier was borne out of a situation where someone bought a JDM WRX STI with the intention of building a rally car. He stripped it to the frame with the intention of rebuilding it only to discover it had a non-repairable title due to it being damaged in the floods.

And rally cars have to be street legal so it ended up just being a waste of a few thousand which really makes no sense when considering all the original components had been removed and tossed out.

Could you not get a fully torn down project such as that subaru a different title? Like a kit car? Don't call it a subi, take all vin's and ID stamps off (overkill), and reg / insure as a kit car:dunno:

I do not know if this would work, but why wouldn't it?

[xnvy]

I don't know. Wasn't my car and it wasn't up to me.

I feel like if anyone found out though, the car would just get crushed. Which would suck considering the amount of work that was going to go into the car. Maybe someone else can offer some insight. Still not a very good law and one that needs some changing or a provision for some exceptions.

[carson blocks]

Originally posted by gretz


Could you not get a fully torn down project such as that subaru a different title? Like a kit car? Don't call it a subi, take all vin's and ID stamps off (overkill), and reg / insure as a kit car:dunno:

I do not know if this would work, but why wouldn't it?

I believe when you go for a government assigned VIN, you have to show proof that any major components from a production vehicle (ie. frame, bodyshell) aren't from a stolen or non-repairable vehicle.

[G-ZUS]

http://www.focus-wholesale.ca/