Title Fraud Bust in VirginiaIn this week’s car title fraud news, we came across a story where in Virginia the DMV executed a search warrant and arrested a bunch of people on violations of the criminal and motor vehicle codes related to title fraud.
Investigation Unveils Money Laundering SchemeThey’re looking into how money and vehicles are being transferred. It seems like this company or these people were using vehicle titles of other people and processing the titles as a way to launder money and to move money around.
Vehicle Title Processing Linked to Money MovementThe link is below the video in the comments, but you’ll see that these organizations, these companies were using vehicle title processing in the process of getting titles at the DMV to move money around and to shift the ownership of vehicles to people who may not actually have been the owners.
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What are the available title solutions for consumers to replace a title for a vehicle in more complicated scenarios?
DIY SolutionsAll of these solutions are do-it-yourself answers. You don’t need to pay anybody to do it. You don’t have to have a title agent do it.
Visit the DMVThe first is to go to the DMV. Start there. They may tell you that they can issue a title with the documentation you have. That’s fine. Try to get a rejection letter. Get some type of response from them in writing so it’ll give you guidelines to go from.
Explore AlternativesThe next thing that you want to do is look to see if there are alternatives in other states. If your vehicle is 15 years old or older, you can go through the state of Vermont, no matter what state you’re in, to get a title for your vehicle. You’ll find instructions on that in other videos we have, or you can ask about it at our website, consumerstitled.org.
Bonded Title ProcessIf your vehicle is newer than 15 years and you don’t have sufficient documentation for your DMV to issue a title, you may have to go through a bonded title process. You may also look at a court-ordered title depending on what documentation you have.
Contact Prior OwnerThe last option that you can look at is to find out who the prior owner of the vehicle is. It may not be that simple because that information is privately held by DMVs and they won’t release it. But if you can find the prior owner, they can hand over a simple document to you. That’s a POA/Transfer of ownership that will give you a document you can then bring to the DMV that will issue a title in your name.
Limitations on Vehicle Ownership SearchSo where do you find information on the last owner of a vehicle? There are limitations on searching for vehicle ownership as opposed to just a state where the car came from. Names, addresses, and personal identification information of a vehicle owner is protected under a federal law called the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, also known as DPP.
Origin of Driver’s Privacy Protection ActThis law was passed back in the 1990s when a stalker used an identification number and a license plate from the vehicle to search for the owner. Turned out he was stalking an actress and he actually assaulted this actress in California. Because of that, the federal law was introduced to make vehicle ownership information private and protected.
Comparison to Financial PrivacyIt sounds like your bank account or social security number to protect you from somebody. Let’s say that you’re driving down the street, they don’t like the way you’re driving from doing road rage and showing up at your door the next day because they found out where you live.
Challenges in Finding Vehicle OwnersThat limitation makes finding vehicle owners for the purpose of tracking down a title or tracking down documentation on your vehicle much more difficult and expensive. Therefore, the first stop is to look at other evidence, maybe finding receipts in the glove compartment, maybe starting with CARFAX to find out what state it came from and looking for information within that state.
Alternatives to Direct SearchesThe other methods for finding ownership are usually less expensive and more simple, rather than doing a direct search, which can be done by a licensed investigative agency for specific purposes to find a prior owner. Those types of searches can get very expensive; it can take a long time. So if you need to track down a prior owner, look for the other methods first and then resort to the last-ditch effort of doing an investigative search to find that ownership if you need to.
The Importance of Vehicle TitlesSo why are there so many scams when it comes to vehicle titles? Well, car titles are the value of the car. Without that piece of paper, the vehicle is just a piece of metal, has no value. Unless you have the piece of paper that declares the ownership.
Reasons Behind Title ScamsIn many cases, it’s thought that it’s easier to make and get a title than to create a car. So somebody might come across a car or do something different with the title to add value to the car. It might be trying to remove a salvage brand or some other stamp on the title, a junk title, to make the car worth more.
Risks of Title ManipulationIt might be acquiring a car with limited or sketchy paperwork with the idea of recreating that title later. The problem with car title scams: it’s a game of musical chairs. So at some point, the real story of that car is going to come to light, and the real title status will come to light, and whoever is stuck with the car is going to lose out.
Legal RamificationsHowever, whoever took the actions to do something different with the title will also have some liability. Incorrect solutions are illegal. If you have a vehicle that you have come across through legal means, you didn’t steal the car.
Consequences of Illegal ActivitiesIf you get the title through an improper method, that’s just as illegal as dealing in the car. If you forge paperwork to get a title, if you declare the car was abandoned when you actually purchased it to get a title, that’s illegal. It’s also a form of tax evasion because in every transfer vehicle there may be taxes or fees due.
Avoiding Title ScamsSo avoid car title scams. Whatever the real story is how you got that car, make sure the paperwork and documentation match that story. If you don’t try to use things like mechanic’s liens or loopholes or out-of-state titles in order to get a title for a vehicle that you’ve acquired, that might ruin your chances of legally owning that vehicle.
In many cases, it was a difficult car title problem. The issue is that you can’t find the prior owner of the vehicle. You can’t find the prior titled owner. There may have been an owner, but they may not have been on title. You’re going to need that title owner for a signature. You’re going to need them to sign the title over to you, maybe even to request a duplicate so then it can be transferred to you.
Back Chaining: Tracing OwnershipThe best way to do that is to start with back chaining the seller. So if the seller you bought it from may know the person who last was on title, they may know maybe two owners ago who is on title. You may also be able to look at lien holders. So sometimes a lien holder will know the last titled owner.
Utilizing Social MediaYou can even look at things like social media. If you know the name of the person or relative, you may be able to discover them through social media.
Last Resort: Licensed AgentWorst case scenario, if all of your do-it-yourself processes have been exhausted, you can work with a licensed agent such as us to discover prior owners using the DPP, an acceptable use, and then you can get a duplicate title that can then be signed over to you so you can understand your ownership correctly.
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