Car thieves have shifted gears in a new, ingenious way to steal your vehicle. They simply peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle, write down the VIN number from the label on the dash, go to the local car
dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN number.
A motorist told the Courier that he ‘never believed this could be true, so as an experiment’ he called three separate reputable out of town car dealers and pretended he had lost my keys.
“They told me to just bring in the VIN#, and they would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the keyless device if I wanted.
“The Car Dealer’s Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will return to your vehicle. He doesn’t have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself.”
To avoid this from happening to you, simply put some dark tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN number metal label located on the dashboard.
By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you can cover it so it can’t be viewed through the windshield by a car thief.