Cloned number plates have been an issue in the UK for quite some time, with criminals using duplicate plates as a means of avoiding fines and driving bans. Here’s what you need to know…
According to police figures, some 4 million vehicles are driving around on cloned number plates at any one time in the UK. And that means an equal number of innocent drivers are at risk of receiving speeding fines and parking tickets thanks to unscrupulous criminals.
A member of the Saab Owners Club GB recently contacted us to say that he had fallen prey to such a devious tactic, wondering what the implications were for his Car Insurance.
He was concerned that, somehow, a claim might be made against his policy if the clone car was involved in an incident.
Well, this is the advice from our resident Car Insurance experts if you’ve had your vehicle registration number copied.
What to do if you suspect your car has been cloned
If you receive speeding or parking tickets unexpectedly, you may suspect that you’re the victim of a car cloning scam. If that’s the case, contact the police immediately. Provide them with any evidence that you may have to show that your vehicle was not involved.
Is my own insurance at risk from cloned number plates?
It’s impossible to envisage a situation in which your own insurers might get dragged into a claim involving a vehicle using your cloned plates.
The primary consideration is that you can verify that your vehicle was not at the scene of any alleged accident (in the same way that you might need to provide evidence if you receive notifications of fixed penalty, or other, offences that did not involve your vehicle).
You’d think this would be the case, and reassuringly it is. The user of the cloned plates has no rights in law under your policy. They cannot claim for damage to, or loss of, the vehicle. In any event, they would have no way of knowing your insurers’ identity, unless they accessed the Motor Insurance Database (MID), which incurs a fee and would expose their criminality!
It’s also worth bearing in mind that insurers do have significant anti-fraud resources at their disposal, which can come into play whenever any claim is made.
Where does that leave innocent third-party claimants?
On the (fairly safe) assumption that the cloned vehicle is uninsured and/or leaves the scene without exchanging details, an innocent victim of a road traffic accident is likely to be able to claim compensation using either of the long-standing Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) schemes: the Uninsured Drivers’ Agreement and the Untraced Drivers’ Agreement.
Read more: Does SORN affect insurance?
Will an MIB claim affect my own insurance?
All MIB claims are funded by a compulsory annual levy paid by all authorised motor insurers in the UK market. This has no effect on individual motor policies – although, in the end, all motorists’ premiums take this into account.
Thankfully, for the Saab Owners Club member, the clone was quickly found in Birmingham, presumably through the effective use of motorway and side-road ANPR cameras. The owner has been stopped twice since the marker was put in place on the registration number. His ordeal consisted of receiving one speeding notice.
Imagine the distress caused to innocent victims who receive demands over a prolonged period. In that scenario, the quickest solution may be to apply for a change of registration but why should you have to?!
Got questions about Car Insurance?
Give our specialist team a call on 0800 917 2274. They are able to answer your queries and arrange quotations.
