{"id":30127,"date":"2025-12-08T06:19:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=30127"},"modified":"2025-12-08T06:19:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:19:37","slug":"man-loses-13k-after-truly-terrible-car-cloning-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2025\/12\/08\/man-loses-13k-after-truly-terrible-car-cloning-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Man loses \u00a313k after ‘truly terrible’ car cloning fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

A man who unknowingly bought a stolen car for \u00a313,000, after fraudsters allegedly used a sophisticated type of identity theft to “clone” it, is urging others to be vigilant.<\/b><\/p>\n

Sevak Maljian, 35, made what seemed like a well-researched purchase of the Kia EV6 with no idea the car was sold to him with replica identity documents of another vehicle, complete with identification numbers and what appeared to be a genuine DVLA V5C logbook.<\/p>\n

“All the details matched… there was no reason to question,” said the car enthusiast from Cardiff.<\/p>\n

He was told by police the car had been reported stolen and it has now been seized.<\/p>\n

The case is being investigated by the\u00a0Report Fraud service<\/a>\u00a0and City of London Police.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Car-cloning can be as simple as stealing number plates, but the fraud type has become more sophisticated, leaving buyers of second-hand cars vulnerable.<\/p>\n

While there are no official figures for car cloning across the whole of the UK, motoring organisation RAC believes “it’s increasingly widespread”.<\/p>\n

Mr Maljian, a physiotherapist and NHS project support officer, said he first saw the three-year-old electric car advertised on Facebook in September and, after messaging the seller, they agreed on an “attractive price” if it was paid for in cash.<\/p>\n

He travelled to London and met the seller outside Putney station on 5 October before viewing the car outside the address listed in its DVLA V5C vehicle registration certificate (logbook).<\/p>\n

As a car enthusiast who had bought second hand cars before, Mr Maljian believed he had taken every precaution.<\/p>\n

“I did all the checks that were recommended by the DVLA,” he told BBC Radio 4’s\u00a0You and Yours<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I started first by checking the MOT, I checked the mileage and then I did the Total Car Check. It showed cleared finance, clear HPI, no accidents.<\/p>\n

“All the details matched including the mileage, the colour, the specs of the car.”<\/p>\n

The seller also showed him what appeared to be a genuine logbook, complete with watermarks and had matching ID.<\/p>\n

“There was no reason to question,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n