Ontario driver warns about licence plate cloning fraud
An Ontario lady was astonished to obtain out her licence plate was duplicated by one more driver just after a number of Highway 407 payments landed in her mailbox.
“When I looked up individuals dates, it was the Easter weekend and I wasn’t even in the town,” Obioma Dike explained to CTV News Toronto.
Obioma Dike received 3 Highway 407 costs immediately after her licence plate was fraudulently duplicated. The bill indicated that Dike took Highway 407 three instances – on April 8, 9 and 28 – for a complete charge of just about $60.
She questioned for digital camera evidence of her automobile travelling on the provincial-owned highway that spans from Burlington to Pickering, and gained illustrations or photos of what appeared to be her licence plate secured to a Nissan like her individual.
“But it is not my car or truck,” she stated.
A shut search at the tolled vehicle when compared to Dike’s reveals differences in the details – 1 motor vehicle has a dealership plate, is a SV product and has a flared frame close to the radiator grille, though the other has none of these functions.
“This seems to be a circumstance of fraud the place the person’s licence plate variety was duplicated,” Christina Basil, a spokesperson for Highway 407, advised CTV Information Toronto.
“Unfortunately, fraudulently duplicated plates do occur. 407 ETR will often reverse charges for consumers if we can affirm the prison misuse of their licence plate.”
The car or truck tolled on Freeway 407 (left) in contrast to Obioma Dike’s vehicle (ideal). In cases like this, Basil stated buyers need to report their licence plate as missing or stolen to the police and return the plates to the Ministry of Transportation appropriate absent. The ministry included that they encourage drivers to start official inquiries when these conditions occur.
Ontario Provincial Law enforcement Sgt. Kerry Schmidt reported the fraudster appears to have deliberately preferred a car or truck that pretty much identically matched the one particular with the initial licence plate.
“The suspect automobile was in reality seeking to impersonate the victim’s car,” he explained. “That would certainly trigger me pause.”
Schmidt reported he doesn’t know what the intentions of the driver were being in this situation, but if they ended up committing a criminal offense, the licence plate duplicate could be employed as a getaway auto.
“Obviously this is a issue for everyone,” he stated.
Though Dike acquired a new licence plate and is trying to get a refund on her monthly bill, she’s still left wondering, “if someone were being to be working with my plate selection, what else could they be accomplishing with my identification?”