Kent resident Shelley Burkett discovered her car's license plate had been cloned after her insurance company accused her of being involved in a traffic accident in Liverpool, a city over 280 miles (340 kilometers) from her home. Ms. Burkett insisted she had "never been to Liverpool" and had to "fight her corner" to prove she wasn't there at the time of the incident. This ordeal highlighted the distress and inconvenience caused by such fraudulent activities.
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03-14, 2025Ms. Burkett is just one of many victims of license plate fraud, which involves copying or stealing license plates and using them on other vehicles. Kent Police have stated that the number of reported cases of this type of crime has been increasing in recent years. Ultimately, Ms. Burkett's case was closed because she proved she was at home on the day of the incident, showcasing the importance of being able to verify one's whereabouts.
Ms. Burkett stated that she was "at home minding my own business" at the time of the incident, but the ordeal left her feeling "frightened." "I said it wasn't me, but they asked me to prove where I was and send photos of the condition of my car, and they continued to investigate," she said. "Then I remembered I could use my Google location, and luckily, I was in Herne Bay that day and had posted some videos on my business social media page proving I was at work that day." Ms. Burkett also added that her license plate was not only cloned, but "they put it on the same model of car."
The RAC (Royal Automobile Club) states that criminals steal or copy the identity of legally registered vehicles and use it to conceal the identity of stolen or scrapped vehicles, which are often similar in model and appearance. Criminals either steal license plates from vehicles or make duplicate license plates and install them on another car. They often look online for license plates that can be cloned, such as through pictures on car sales websites. This highlights the need for increased vigilance regarding personal vehicle information online.
New data obtained by the BBC shows that the number of reported license plate theft cases in Kent has increased by 37% in four years. According to a Freedom of Information request, 1,120 cases were reported in 2024, compared to 815 in 2020. Last year, the BBC also revealed that the number of fines canceled in London due to car cloning incidents had increased by 64% in three years. Kent Police Sergeant Rob Marsh stated: "In relation to number plate thefts, people are clearly using them to commit other offences, such as evading congestion charges, other road tolls, or not paying for fuel."
The Home Office stated: "The cloning and obscuring of number plates impacts road safety and provides cover for criminals. We are working with the police, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and other partners to crack down on these crimes. We have begun developing a new road safety strategy, the first in over a decade, aimed at reducing road deaths and preventing associated crime. More details will be announced in due course." This indicates a commitment to addressing the growing problem of license plate fraud and its implications for public safety.
