Insurers warn car buyers to be vigilant amid cloning scams
Motorists have been urged to be vigilant when purchasing vehicles to avoid becoming victims of car cloning.
Insurers say it's a growing concern in the country, with an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 cases reported yearly.
A 2020 insurance crime bureau report found that Gauteng, the country's cloning epicentre, accounts for around 70% of all reported cases.
Luxury SUVs, bakkies and sedans are targeted the most.
Insurance brokers say the practice has become sophisticated, with criminals using high-quality counterfeit documents and techniques to make a stolen vehicle look legitimate.
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IntegriSure Brokers’ Hermanus van der Linde says consumers are the ones who suffer.
"We urge South Africans to do due diligence when purchasing vehicles. Could you make sure you have some understanding of the vehicle's history?
"Criminals go above and beyond to hide the identity of the vehicle with the only intention of selling it to an unsuspecting buyer and because if the police clearance only shows what is currently, they are aware of regarding the identity of the vehicle."
