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Released: March 27, 2009

Putting an end to “washed” and “cloned” cars

Source: Tom Ripley, Studio One Networks (KOAM TV 7)

You might remember the headlines; after Hurricane Katrina, truckloads of flooded vehicles were taken out of Louisiana and shipped to other states as far away as the upper Midwest, where they were dried out, cleaned and readied for sale to unsuspecting consumers in states that do not brand flood vehicles. Prospective purchasers of these vehicles were likely unaware that the vehicles had been subjected to a saltwater flood, which made the cars' electrical systems (including their air bag sensors) more prone to failure, and because of this, consumers were victims of vehicle fraud. Up until January 30th, it was relatively easy to get away with that crime and with organized auto theft, because individual state licensing systems didn't really "talk" with each other. Realizing that communication about vehicle fraud was poor, thieves and scammers could move suspect vehicles from state to state with impunity, defrauding the public as they went. But with luck, those days are over.

Read Full Article: Putting an end to “washed” and “cloned” cars