Summary
A man named Sevak Maljian bought a second-hand electric vehicle (EV) that turned out to be a stolen car with fake documents. The car, a Kia EV6, was seized by police after they discovered it was cloned, meaning its identity was copied from another car. Maljian, who is still paying for the car with a loan, urges others to be cautious when buying second-hand vehicles.
Key Facts
- Sevak Maljian bought a second-hand Kia EV6 for £13,000, which was a stolen car.
- Fraudsters cloned the car using fake identity documents, including a falsified vehicle registration certificate.
- Maljian performed recommended checks like verifying the MOT, mileage, and HPI, but did not notice the clone.
- Police informed Maljian that the car was reported stolen and seized the vehicle.
- Car cloning involves using stolen car identities and has become more sophisticated over time.
- Maljian purchased the car after messaging a seller on Facebook and agreed on a cash price.
- He financed the purchase with a personal loan and is still paying it off despite losing the car.
- The scam was discovered at a Kia dealership when a key fob issue led staff to find the mismatch in Vehicle Identity Numbers (VIN).
