Vin # Heads Up

[cobia]

Seems that car thieves have found yet another way to steal your car or truck without any effort at all.
The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or truck, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #.
A friend didn't believe this e-mail, so he called a friend at Chrysler/Dodge and pretended he had lost his keys. They told him to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut him one on the spot, and he could order the keyless device if he wanted.
The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, the thief doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is walk up to your car, insert the key and off he goes to a local Chop Shop with your vehicle.

You don't believe it? - It IS that easy.

To avoid this from happening to you, simply put some tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Metal Label located on the dash board. By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you can cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield

by a car thief.
steals another car or truck.
You can easily slip a 3 x 5 card over the VIN# until you devise a better method (that's legal

[metalesp]

Could that be done with a motorcycle?
Truthfully I don't have keys to my 81 KZ305A, could I contact a Kawasaki dealer or Kawasaki itself and order new keys...

[longbeachgary]

It may be illegal in some places to cover up a vin number.

[Hilts]

You should still have to prove you are the registered owner of the car. Either produce valid ownership certificate or the dealer check with DMV. To just hand over a key to somebody based on them showing a VIN is crazy.

[Frankt07]

Originally Posted by Hilts

You should still have to prove you are the registered owner of the car. Either produce valid ownership certificate or the dealer check with DMV. To just hand over a key to somebody based on them showing a VIN is crazy.

i agree. i think you would have to have some kind of proof of ownership. probably show registration or something
but then again, you never know

[xeon]

Another little issue with this is a lot of car keys are chipped today. It is possible to program a new key to the car yourself... but sometimes you need a key already "authenticated" to use in the process and you have to know the process. But if you did get a key, a thief could certainly enter the car which isn't so hot.

Looked it up in urban legends and some interesting stuff came up:

While there has been at least one well-publicized case (in 2002) of an auto theft ring using a ploy similar to the above to steal vehicles from used car lots, it is a complicated and time-consuming modus operandi and not the most likely way a thief might try to steal your car.

Still, the method can work, as proven in an experiment conducted by WTAE-TV News in Pittsburgh:

After getting permission from the owners, we jotted down VIN numbers from four different vehicles. Then, we went to four diffrerent car dealerships with a hidden camera. We told the same kind of story that a thief might tell: we locked the key in the car and needed a new one.

First, we went to a dealership and tried to get a key made for a 2003 Blazer. It couldn't have been any easier.

Next, we walked into another dealership with a phony story. Half an hour later, we had a key that got us into -- and away with -- the car. The key cost $2 and we paid cash. No one asked for identification.

Three out of the four car dealers struck duplicate keys with no questions asked, the reporters found, even though most dealerships have a policy of demanding identification before doing so. A different investigation conducted by the Sacramento Bee in 2003 found that car dealers were not only aware of the scam but in some cases believed they had actually foiled attempts to illegally obtain keys by insisting on proper documentation from the perpetrators.

Covering the dashboard VIN # is an option for vehicle owners concerned that they may be victimized in this manner, but, since some states prohibit it, checking local laws is advisable first.

[bross]

Originally Posted by Hilts

You should still have to prove you are the registered owner of the car. Either produce valid ownership certificate or the dealer check with DMV. To just hand over a key to somebody based on them showing a VIN is crazy.

Our dealers here ask for your drivers license and registration, but I bet there are dealers out there who don't.