Obfuscate VINs and License Plates in photos?

[LosAltosChuck]

Some folks don’t like to publish their VIN on an open forum. Just FYI, FWIW.


[Moderator's note: This thread was split off from here: Neat Model 3 "Easter Egg" found ]

 

[JoshG]

Some folks don’t like to publish their VIN on an open forum. Just FYI, FWIW.

Already have posted it elsewhere... doesn't bother me. Some specific danger I should be aware of?

 

[LosAltosChuck]

Not that I’m aware of, I just note that some do mask it.

 

[Thomas Edison]

Already have posted it elsewhere... doesn't bother me. Some specific danger I should be aware of?

[JOKE] Identity theft [/JOKE]

 

[ThisIsTrue]

Anytime you park in public, your VIN is in public view.

 

[Rockster]

[JOKE] Identity theft [/JOKE]

There were reports a few years ago of people grabbing EV VINs online and claiming the $7500 tax credit with it. The owners discovered this when their legit tax returns were rejected.

 

[Robotpedlr]

Every "new inventory" car on the Tesla site has its VIN listed that those guys could use for that Tax Credit scam. As noted by others above, it is not hard to get a VIN on mfg site, dealerships, etc etc if someone really wanted it.

 

[JoshG]

There were reports a few years ago of people grabbing EV VINs online and claiming the $7500 tax credit with it. The owners discovered this when their legit tax returns were rejected.

Ridiculous. Can you find some source for this news? VINs are sequential and publicly available, so no one would need MY VIN if they wanted to do this, they can find a huge list of Tesla VINs pretty much anywhere (or just guess at one) if they were dumb enough to commit fraud on their personal tax return for something the IRS can prove easily was fraudulent and deliberate.

 

[Rockster]

Ridiculous. Can you find some source for this news? VINs are sequential and publicly available, so no one would need MY VIN if they wanted to do this, they can find a huge list of Tesla VINs pretty much anywhere (or just guess at one) if they were dumb enough to commit fraud on their personal tax return for something the IRS can prove easily was fraudulent and deliberate.

I’m not going to scour the internet to find posts from years ago. Yes, there are other sources of VINs besides people posting theirs on a car enthusiast forum and yes, fraudsters may select one of those sources before one posted in this thread. The question was asked why might anyone be concerned about posting their VIN publicly and I answered that.

I changed my mind: I spent 30 seconds on a web search and found this treasury department audit report talking about EV tax credit fraud, including those perpetrated by people who didn’t even own EVs, and how the IRS doesn’t have a system to safeguard against this on paper returns.

Individuals Received Millions of Dollars in Erroneous Plug-in Electric and Alternative Motor Vehicle Credits

 

[Pollux]

I’m not going to scour the internet to find posts from years ago. Yes, there are other sources of VINs besides people posting theirs on a car enthusiast forum and yes, fraudsters may select one of those sources before one posted in this thread. The question was asked why might anyone be concerned about posting their VIN publicly and I answered that.

I changed my mind: I spent 30 seconds on a web search and found this treasury department audit report talking about EV tax credit fraud, including those perpetrated by people who didn’t even own EVs, and how the IRS doesn’t have a system to safeguard against this on paper returns.

Individuals Received Millions of Dollars in Erroneous Plug-in Electric and Alternative Motor Vehicle Credits

Just wanted to say thank you for tracking down and citing this informative report.

It's great to have such a solid reference! I had no idea that there were incarcerated prisoners claiming EV tax credits for vehicles supposedly placed in-service while they were in the pokey! Wow.

Alan

 

[Tam]

Already have posted it elsewhere... doesn't bother me. Some specific danger I should be aware of?

If you don't blank out your license plate, an internet user can look up your address quite easily. That would be bad if it's a stalker.

I don't know about VIN. I guess they can look up from carfax for its accident history easily as well. I don't think they can trace back to your address as easily as license plate can.

 

[kbecks13]

If you don't blank out your license plate, an internet user can look up your address quite easily. That would be bad if it's a stalker.

I'm not sure it's really that easy, pretty sure you need access to DMV info to do it. I think this is just one of those semi-paranoid things people often do.

 

[Ulmo]

I’m not going to scour the internet to find posts from years ago. Yes, there are other sources of VINs besides people posting theirs on a car enthusiast forum and yes, fraudsters may select one of those sources before one posted in this thread. The question was asked why might anyone be concerned about posting their VIN publicly and I answered that.

I changed my mind: I spent 30 seconds on a web search and found this treasury department audit report talking about EV tax credit fraud, including those perpetrated by people who didn’t even own EVs, and how the IRS doesn’t have a system to safeguard against this on paper returns.

Individuals Received Millions of Dollars in Erroneous Plug-in Electric and Alternative Motor Vehicle Credits

Government is mostly to support criminals these days.

 

[Wshowell]

If you don't blank out your license plate, an internet user can look up your address quite easily. That would be bad if it's a stalker.

I don't know about VIN. I guess they can look up from carfax for its accident history easily as well. I don't think they can trace back to your address as easily as license plate can.

I’ve noticed many people black out their license plate number when posting online. Never made any sense to me at all. Do you think these people realize their license plate number/letters (and VIN for that matter) are displayed for the world to see any time they are out on public roads including the lunatic that you just cut off and the creepy guy doing obscene hand gestures? I’d suggest a little bit of paranoia. Note that my license plate is my online avatar....maybe I’m just dumb like that.

 

[smartypnz]

Using someone else's VIN to claim credit on your personal tax return??????

Talk about stupid thieves.

Do ya think this theft might be traceable??

Tax fraud is a hefty price to pay.

 

[jelloslug]

Already have posted it elsewhere... doesn't bother me. Some specific danger I should be aware of?

If you wake up in Tijuana in a bathtub full of ice, missing a kidney, don't say we did not warn you.

 

[Dr. J]

I’m not going to scour the internet to find posts from years ago. Yes, there are other sources of VINs besides people posting theirs on a car enthusiast forum and yes, fraudsters may select one of those sources before one posted in this thread. The question was asked why might anyone be concerned about posting their VIN publicly and I answered that.

I changed my mind: I spent 30 seconds on a web search and found this treasury department audit report talking about EV tax credit fraud, including those perpetrated by people who didn’t even own EVs, and how the IRS doesn’t have a system to safeguard against this on paper returns.

Individuals Received Millions of Dollars in Erroneous Plug-in Electric and Alternative Motor Vehicle Credits

FWIW, the referenced fraud occurred before the IRS required VINs to be provided by the taxpayer:

"In addition, the IRS plans to add a new line on the forms used to claim the credits to require a Vehicle Identification Number and has requested that e-file software providers implement programming changes to allow taxpayers to select the make, model, and year of qualifying vehicles from a drop-down menu."

After this change, though, using someone else's VIN might be a way to consummate the fraud. This is fraud against the US and not the individual taxpayer, as I am not aware of anyone being denied the credit by being the second person to claim--although I imagine it might delay a refund while they sorted things out.

 

[Dr. J]

I'm not sure it's really that easy, pretty sure you need access to DMV info to do it. I think this is just one of those semi-paranoid things people often do.

They used to publish and freely distribute large books containing the names of practically everyone with a telephone, sorted by town and name, showing phone number and address. Stalking was so much easier back in the day.

 

[Dr. J]

I’ve noticed many people black out their license plate number when posting online. Never made any sense to me at all. Do you think these people realize their license plate number/letters (and VIN for that matter) are displayed for the world to see any time they are out on public roads including the lunatic that you just cut off and the creepy guy doing obscene hand gestures? I’d suggest a little bit of paranoia. Note that my license plate is my online avatar....maybe I’m just dumb like that.

It's a thing now to photograph license plates when entering a garage in order to track your place of registration (residence) for commercial purposes. Little brother, so to speak.

 

[GlmnAlyAirCar]

Not that I’m aware of, I just note that some do mask it.

And I have always wondered why. These are the same people who blur out their license plates, even though they drive their cars every day on public streets. Basically just a follow the crowd mentality.