Drivers have been warned of the rise in fraudulent vehicle number plate cloning which is sweeping across the UK and could impact all Britons.
The fraudulent practice involves taking a copy or duplicate of another vehicle’s number plate and fixing it to a separate vehicle.
According to a Freedom of Information request to Transport for London, there were more than 16,000 penalties issued to vehicles due to the cloning mishap.
The cloning problem saw thousands of drivers unfairly issued with parking fines due to having the same plates as another car.
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The number of cloned cars has steadily increased since 2021
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The FOI detailed how the number of cloned cars has nearly doubled since 2021 when there were 7,262 fines handed out.
In total, between January and December last year, 16,264 PCNs were issued to cars with cloned number plates in London alone.
According to the data reported in the FOI, a huge proportion of the total fines issued were for breaching Ultra Low Emission Zone rules which could see drivers pay £180.
The London Assembly explained that when a vehicle has been identified as having a cloned number plate, a report is created and a marker is added to the police national computer, and ANPR databases.
Once the rightful owner is established a letter is given to them if they were issued with a PCN. At this point, they may be able to dispute the fine.
Vehicle cloning is normally used for criminal activity or to avoid speeding tickets, parking fines, or toll and congestion charges.
Alice Hempstead, insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Vehicle security has become one of the greatest concerns for vehicle owners and insurers.
“With increases in thefts, cloning, and part-stealing across the UK, most drivers have seen their insurance premiums increase dramatically in recent years, and it’s more important than ever for drivers to take the security of their vehicles seriously.”
Hempstead added that there are steps drivers can take to prevent their number plates from being cloned.
She explained that simple steps like using a car cover can help “deter” thieves and number plate cloners.
Meanwhile, parking in a garage and fitting insurer-approved security devices can help protect vehicles and lower insurance premiums as well, she noted.
For drivers who think they have had their licence plate forged, they should contact the police and give full details of the car and registration number.
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Drivers should contact the DVLA if they suspect their plates has been involved in fraud
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Drivers should inform the police if they suspect that the registration number has been cloned and tell them why this may be the case.
Motorists should also report the issue to the DVLA to avoid getting fined for incidents which were not their fault.
