Buying A Used Car? Watch Out For VIN Cloning Scam Happening In Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has recently issued a notice for buyers to beware of scams regarding vehicle fraud.

There are so many scams to watch out for these days. Criminals will prey on people who are often desperate. The high price of used cars is helping scammers target victims. They are coming up with even more sophisticated scams that could take months before you even know you were taken.

Buyer Beware Of VIN Cloning

One of the latest scams is quite complex, but it has a big payoff for the criminal. It's called VIN cloning, and it's happening across the US, and usually requires two states to make it work.

How The Criminals Do It

The criminal will steal a car and then cross state lines. They will then search the internet for a dealership that has the same or a very similar car for sale, and they'll steal the VIN number from that information and put it on the stolen car. It can be as complex as even changing the VIN number on the windshield.

The reason they cross state lines is that the DMV computer systems are separate from state to state, so it buys them more time.

The scammer will list the car at a very appealing price and get a buyer pretty quickly. Everything looks good to the buyer until weeks or months later, when the police show up because you are driving a stolen car.

Multiple Victims

The victim here is not only the person whose car is stolen, but also the buyer of the stolen car. In many cases, the buyer is left without a car or their money.

How To Protect Yourself

If it's too good to be true, it probably is. If it seems like a really cheap price, that should be a red flag. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's task force offers these tips to protect yourself.

Make sure to ask for the VIN and have it checked by your local police department, mechanic, or DVS inspection site. If they refuse to give you a VIN or try to pressure you to act quickly, walk away.

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Run a vehicle history report and compare the price to the market value. Vehicles listed below market value could be stolen.

Take the vehicle to a trusted mechanic if you can, and make sure you receive a valid title or required purchase paperwork at the time of the transaction.

$1.4 Million Worth Of Fraud Cases Just Last Year

In 2025, the vehicle fraud task force closed 376 cases that involved more than $1.4 million taken from innocent people.