Someone Stole My Car Registration and Insurance Card
Insurance, ownership stolen? Tell cops to prevent 'reidentifying'
Stolen vehicle registration documents are no trivial matter, say cops.
"We want you to call us," said Ottawa Police Sgt. Mark Gatien from the traffic escort unit, adding it only takes five to 10 minutes.
Cops are looking for links after the Sun reported a west end woman's documents were stolen out of her car.
The undamaged vehicle was parked at home near the Civic hospital, while valuables, including cash, were left behind.
"It's still fairly unique here in North America for organized rings to actually start targeting vehicles" for paperwork, said an Ottawa Police organized auto theft investigator who can't be named due to undercover work.
He believes documents are lifted to reidentify vehicles for use overseas or closer to home.
"Reidentifying vehicles is almost strictly the purview of organized crime, even if it's a modest three-person (operation)," said the officer.
Victims, "especially in quiet neighbourhoods, will probably have a tendency to not call police."
Cops have heard plenty about identity theft, though.
Last month, police warned thieves were targeting unlocked vehicles for wallets and other personal information used to steal identities.
That headache is "very expensive to straighten out," said Rick Dubin from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, adding the glove box is the "first place a crook is going to look."
Regardless of the motive, Ottawa Police Const. Marc Soucy recommends carrying insurance and ownership in your wallet.
"If you're going to leave a copy of your ownership in the car, black out your address," said Soucy.
But make sure it's a photocopy, he added.
Leaving originals can "help them build another identity," said Soucy.
Creating a new identity for a vehicle -- rather than taking out a mortgage in your name -- is likely the motive for stealing documents in this recent case, the auto theft investigator said.
"This is very metaphorical, obviously but it's as if somebody had stolen those people's fingerprints ... You're not stealing a person's identity. You're stealing a vehicle's identity."
By fingerprint, he means the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN.
"A lot of people wouldn't ascribe very much importance to that, but in the organized crime world - in vehicle crimes, anyways - it's a very important piece of their operation," he said.
"They need that identification to clean up their crime vehicles."
Call 613-236-1222 ext. 7300 to file a police report.
kelly.roche@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @kellyroche6
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Someone Stole My Car Registration and Insurance Card
Source: https://ottawasun.com/2014/01/12/insurance-ownership-stolen-tell-cops-to-prevent-reidentifying
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