What to do if your car license plate has been cloned
More and more people countrywide are falling victim to cloned number plates
THE cloning of vehicle licence plates is fast becoming a common occurrence nationwide and, while it is a major inconvenience for the victims, it can also create a host of legal problems.
Among the problems created by fraudulently cloned licence plates are strikes against the victim’s driver’s licence once the new D-merit system comes into play, difficulties renewing vehicle licences and someone else’s unpaid e-toll bill being sent your way.
Once the D-merit system is activated, traffic violations like speeding fines are strikes against your licence and, once there are too many D-merits, the licence is suspended.
Fraudsters’ speeding fines are sent to the actual owner of the cloned licence plate, meaning the victim is eligible to pay the fines or face the D-merits.
Unresolved speeding fines could prevent the holder from renewing the vehicle’s licence disc.
While renewals will not be refused if the traffic fine is in the early stages – if it has not yet been served – any stage passed this could complicate a licence disc renewal.
E-toll bills have been the bane of many people’s lives for a while now and many people living nowhere near Gauteng are receiving E-toll bills after the cloning of their plates.
This essentially means the e-toll bill is sent to the legal owner of the plate that has been cloned, while the driver of the vehicle with the cloned plate enjoys a free ride.
ALSO READ: Know your rights at roadblocks
While these problems are primarily administrative issues, relatively easily sorted out by paperwork, the more serious side to licence plate cloning is when a cloned plate is used in a robbery or involved in an accident.
The rightful owner of the licence plate could get a visit from police officers or, worse, receive a warrant for their arrest.
So how can cloned plates be replaced?
Firstly, as soon as it becomes apparent that your licence plate has been cloned, open a case at your local police station.
This will create a record of the cloning of the plate, should it be implicated in any illegal activities.
After opening a case, visit your nearest Department of Transport office and complete the appropriate form, providing supporting documentation and a copy of your identity document.
A pro-rata licence fee is payable to the appropriate registering authority.
It is thought the new licence plate regulations planned for implementation later this year will increase licence plate security.
Source: Compare Guru
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