Crooks cloning number plates to lump innocent drivers with fines – 9news.com.au

Car hoons are duplicating numberplates to get away with racking up huge toll bills, fines and even stealing petrol.

Authorities have warned law-abiding motorists of the growing scourge and have issued advice to those stung by the scam for what to do.

Melbourne car yard worker Peter Savige said the business had received a number of toll invoices from Eastlink and Citylink, despite knowing the vehicle in question had not left the premises.

He also received parking fines and a red light infringement.

Confused, Mr Savige downloaded the road safety camera images associated with the fines.

"I realised that the number plate on the vehicle, even though it was the same numerals and numbers, it wasn't even the same colour as the plate on our car," he told A Current Affair.

Mr Savige said he had now cancelled the number plate.

Geoff Gwilym from the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce said it was "disappointing" the innocent parties had to go to the effort of proving the car in question wasn't theirs.

"The way that cloning works is that somebody sees a car and it's like the car that they've got or they look on the internet for a similar car, and they basically copy the numberplate and put it on their car," he said.

Criminals can use websites to create fake number plates for a small fee, or even visit novelty stores to buy fake plates on the spot.

A Current Affair was able to have plates made in about 10 minutes, for less than $30.

The NRMA's Peter Khoury said such stores should be regulated.

"It shouldn't be happening to start with, and that's why we want to make sure that authorities across Australia are doing everything they can to protect our rego and our identification," he said.

Mr Gwilym advised people who received a fine they were suspicious of to report it to the appropriate authority in writing, preferably in an e-mail with a receipt.

Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2017

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Crooks cloning number plates to lump innocent drivers with fines - 9news.com.au