Motorists across the country are being warned to avoid an “old-school” car scam which could cost them thousands.
According to a new report, one in 50 second-hand cars may have had their motors tampered with to inflate value.
Buyers can end up paying around £4,750 above the actual value of a used vehicle.
The scam has been modernised with the use of tech systems and services provided by illegitimate businesses, which help the scheme stay undetected.
The “clocking” scam is now said to be costing UK drivers £762 million a year.
CarVertical, a vehicle background provider, analysed checks of 20,000 motors carried out last year by buyers wanting to find out a car’s history, any outstanding finances and any other types of fraud.
Investigations found that 2.1 percent of the used cars it reviewed had evidence of this particular scam.
CarVertical says ‘clocking’, which was prevalent in the 80s and 90s, is back on the rise.
Scammers lower the car’s mileage to hide the amount of miles it has driven, so they can claim a higher price.
Its study showed that Kias were the car most likely to have been tampered with by fraudsters.
Matas Buzelis from the vehicle checking provider told This is Money that loopholes were letting criminals dodge laws and scam people out of thousands.
He warned that: “Although car dealers who manipulate a vehicle’s mileage for financial gain can be prosecuted under the Consumer Regulation Act, little effort is being made to catch scammers.”
Cheap devices are now being sold online that can make it impossible to tell that a car has been clocked.
Instead of lowering a vehicle’s mileage, they pause it when the car is being driven to suggest it has travelled less than it actually has.
As well as being financially damaging, this can be dangerous for consumers, as a car’s safety is directly related to its mileage.
Have you been scammed? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.