Opinion: Grand Theft Auto goes high-tech in the digital age

[Haltech]

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Modern Car Thieves Outsmart The Law By Cloning

Car thieves are adopting depressingly creative ways to clone cars.

When it comes to car theft, the good news is that law enforcement has become so good that theft rates have dropped for a decade. The bad news is that this is forcing car thieves to become far more clever and daring than they ever were in the past.

Not long ago, chop shops were the favorite fence for car thieves. They'd drop off a stolen vehicle where it would get "chopped" into its most lucrative parts and sold off for big profits. But today, chop shops are practically passé. Now car thieves find it faster, safer and more profitable to "clone" a car.

Cloning is not a new practice, but it's becoming more and more popular. It involves stealing a car, then creating a new title and VIN for it, but doing it in a way that makes it very difficult for law enforcement to track. And car thieves are adopting depressingly creative ways to clone cars.

John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every month he brings his unique insights as a Detroit insider to Autoblog readers.

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Grand Theft Auto goes high-tech in the digital age originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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