Blank V5 forms stolen from DVLA

[Hymie]

Apparently over 120,000 blank V5 forms have been stolen from DVLA – allowing car cloners to convince duped buyers that the car is legit.

Already someone from St. Albans (sara3?) has lost £8,000 buying a cloned Merc; after taking all reasonable precautions – she was checking out the genuine vehicle – not the cloned car she was buying.

DVLA chief executive Noel Shanahan told 5 live: "When we discovered that these documents had been stolen, we actually went to the police because it is a criminal act.
If it's a criminal act then clearly we can't be held responsible for that.”

If it can been shown that DVLA has been negligent in allowing criminals to steal the blank V5 forms, then Noel Shanahan should be sacked. If DVLA has not been negligent, how did the criminals get hold of the blank V5 forms?

For those concerned that they might be buying a cloned car with a dodgy V5 – apparently the stolen V5 serial numbers begin BG or BI. For more information, check out the DVLA website.

[magicmerlin]

Here is a link to the BBC report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8487381.stm

How on earth has it taken over 3 years for this to come to be in the public eye. DVLA should have made people aware of 'loss' when it happened in 2006.

[magicmerlin]

DVLA Link

http://www.dft.gov.uk....aspx?keywords=stolen

[sara3]

sounds like an inside job to me, Hymie. I work for a gov't dept and we've been known to unwittingly employ some dodgy characters who have later ended up in court for their dodgy goings-on.

and no, it wasn't me.. my car is far nicer than a Merc ;o)

[ChuckFickens]

"then Noel Shanahan should be sacked"

If the DVLA was shown to be negligent I would rather they sacked the person that was shown to be responsible for it, not the chief executive who probably has no direct control or knowledge of the day to day running and staffing of the DVLA.

[Hymie]

Sincere apologies to sara3 for suggesting that she would purchase a car for £8,000.

The woman who was duped must have been doubly embarrassed; at having been duped and admitting she was buying a car for £8,000. My understanding is that any such car parked within the jurisdiction of St. Albans borough council will be treated a scrap – after all, anyone rich enough to live there would not be seen dead in such a car.

[Hymie]

Since the V5 form consists of a singe folded A3 sheet of paper – 120,000 would be contained in 96 A4 boxes of paper.

If I ran an organisation that was responsible for the issuing of such a valuable document (to criminals) and 96 A4 boxes of the forms went AWOL – I would expect to be sacked.

[Panic Button]

They had an error, and were supposed to be shredded.

I agree with Hymie. The boss says he they can't be blamed because
"If it's a criminal act then clearly we can't be held responsible for that.”

What a load of rubbish.

[Iggle Piggle]

It's a Government agency, they can do no wrong and are above the law, even when they are wrong and negligent !
The DVLA should be held liable, even for a criminal act by a third party, as the forms should have been in a safe or shredded. The DVLA should reimburse any victim of the fraud as if they had committed it themselves.

[Shushione]

I agree with you re this interview with Noel Shannon on BBC5 live and the programme, BBC Inside out, re the car cloning scam. With regards the interview with Noel Shannon and his response to this HUGE problem. I am nothing short of furious, one, from the point of view that not only does he shirk all responsibility for the failure in his duties but to deny that there is an ongoing problem. How can anything ever be resolved when you have this attitude? And as he obviously considers me to be an idiot who could be easily ‘duped’, I bought a cloned car and lost money after doing car data checks and various other forms of establishing the authenticiy of the car and seller. I consider the man totally incompetent and unworthy of the position he holds or the salary he commands. The cost of setting up a special police division to deal with this, £13 million pounds worth of vehicles retrieved in eighteen months, countless pounds lost by unsuspecting victims and he seriously doesn’t think it has anything to do with him! He needs to be removed from his position and perhaps lose his substantially large salary and then when he complains we can all sit back and blame it on the criminals! Let the campaign begin!!! There are a further 130,000 possible cloned cars out there and there is nothing in place to make sure you dont end up with one of them.

[Shushione]

With regards the interview with Noel Shannon on BBC radio 5 Live and on the BBC Inside out programme and his response to this HUGE problem of cloned cars. I am nothing short of furious, one, from the point of view that not only does he shirk all responsibility for the failure in his duties but to deny that there is an ongoing problem. How can anything ever be resolved when you have this attitude? And as he obviously considers me to be an idiot who could be easily ‘duped’ I am a victim of this crime and having done car data checks and various other methods to ensure the authenticity of the vehicle, I resent him implying that 'us' victims are easily duped. I consider the man totally incompetent and unworthy of the position he holds or the salary he commands. The cost of setting up a special police division to deal with this, £13 million pounds worth of vehicles retrieved in eighteen months, countless pounds lost by unsuspecting victims, a further 130,000 possible cloned cars to still to surface......... and he seriously doesn’t think this problem has anything to do with him! He needs to be removed from his position and perhaps lose his substantially large salary and then when he complains we can all sit back and blame it on the criminals! There could be as many as 2.2 million documets that didnt get shredded, the DVLA first issued a warning for 23,000 documents and then had to increase it when other seriel numbers came to light. Do they know the extent of the problem, no! People are calling the DVLA direct and checking seriel numbers, they're being told they are fine and only to find out later that the are fraudent, does this instill you with confidence! The sytem needs to be changed, NOW, whether they change the v5 document, amend their computers and perhaps it may stop another £13 million pounds worth of cars in an eighteen month period coming to light!. Let the campaign begin. Noel Shannon needs to go!!!

[briharri]

I lost £8300 when i brought an Audi A4, didnt even know about the V5 scam,,,, GUTTED AND ANGRY.... is there some going up to take the DVLA to court to try and get money back, or has someone got any idea's????