With identity theft on the rise and still a very serious problem, the DVLA has warned motorists to ensure they keep certain documents offline. Even if you are selling a vehicle, you should not post a copy or picture of the V5C or logbook alongside the advert. You can say that you have it in your possession but should never show any of the details on social or advertising channels.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is a practice criminals use to deceive financial institutions like credit cards, banks, loans and other places to give them money based on assuming your identity. While most places are as sympathetic as possible to victims, the consequences of having your identity stolen can be crippling.
Selling a Vehicle
One of the reasons people think they should show the V5 see alongside the advert when selling a vehicle is to demonstrate that they are the legal owner. But actually, the V5C does not prove ownership. It is simply a confirmation of the registered keeper of a vehicle, the person who has responsibility for taxing and registering the car. Anyone buying a car should be making their own checks using the numberplate, and you can check whether the vehicle is stolen, a write-off, insured, has a legitimate MOT and many other things.
Potential Issues of Sharing Logbook
Not only does showing the logbook details online open up the gateway for identity theft it also runs the risk of vehicle cloning taking place. Once a criminal has all the details of a vehicle, they can use this to clone or replace the numberplate of a stolen vehicle. This can cause massive issues. For example, if you purchase a car in good faith and check the legitimate logbook details that go with it, but the car has been cloned, you will lose the vehicle when the police catch up with you and inform you that it is stolen.
Think Before You Share
The DVLA is a timely reminder that we should all take care when sharing anything private or personal about ourselves online. Nothing is secure, and putting that information out in the public domain means it can be used against you. Unrelated to driving, one example is posting that you are away on holiday on your social media accounts that are enabling burglars to ascertain that your home is likely empty and stage a break-in. So, next time you want to sell a car, be sure not to include any personal details about yourself and be under no obligation to share details of the V5C unless you are sure you’re talking to a legitimate buyer. And if you are purchasing a used car, be sure to run the sensible checks, this checking does have a small fee attached, but that is well worth the amount of money it costs for peace of mind. You need to be confident that the vehicle you are purchasing has not previously been stolen or cloned before you make a purchase