I notice most pictures of cars on this site have their number plates blanked out. Why this secrecy - when our number plates are visible to the millions who may see the car in its lifetime? Indeed, the car which is often parked outside our house and carries ourselves and families in full view for the lifetime of the car? There may be a good reason - i just can't think of it.

Chris

Some people worry about a nasty type looking here if they have the same make/model/colour and then copying the plates so they don't need to worry about speeding/congestion charge etc...

To get replacement number plates, you need the V5 registration document and that's OLY available to the current owner/keeper.

I don't mind if my number plate is seen online...............it's HY60 KPL if anyone is remotely interested (which I doubt they are)

you could (not sure if you can now) order number plates on ebay without needing to show your V5

To get replacement number plates, you need the V5 registration document and that's OLY available to the current owner/keeper.

I don't mind if my number plate is seen online...............it's HY60 KPL if anyone is remotely interested (which I doubt they are)

To get number plates legally yes, but it is still possible to obtain plates illegally quite easy. This how it so easy for crooks to clone and replate stolen vehicles plates.

To get replacement number plates, you need the V5 registration document and that's OLY available to the current owner/keeper.

Legally you do ....... but it is still easy to obtain them

you could (not sure if you can now) order number plates on ebay without needing to show your V5

Yes you can, eBay is littered with sellers with 'road legal' number plates, which once fitted will look the same as a set bought the 'legal' way.

All this doom and gloom is no doubt true but life's too short. Identity theft, 'phishers' stealing all your money via the internet? I'm sure it has happened to a few unfortunate people, as do all the possible nasty things in life, but no-one in my reasonably broad circle of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances has ever fallen victim to these things (let alone number plate theft).

Yours - no doubt in childlike, blissful ignorance (soon to be destroyed).

All this doom and gloom is no doubt true but life's too short. Identity theft, 'phishers' stealing all your money via the internet? I'm sure it has happened to a few unfortunate people, as do all the possible nasty things in life, but no-one in my reasonably broad circle of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances has ever fallen victim to these things (let alone number plate theft).

Yours - no doubt in childlike, blissful ignorance (soon to be destroyed).

Nice to hear ... but it is certainly a reality, I have had ID theft (new credit card intercepted in the post) which led to various online purchases including mobile phone contracts being taken out, my step daughter has also had her number plates stolen from her car (Medway towns) plus SWMBO has two work collogues who have had unauthorised transactions on accounts, I also know someone who was scammed over an outboard boat engine, so am I especially unlucky? I don't think so it is a reality in life.

All this doom and gloom is no doubt true but life's too short. Identity theft, 'phishers' stealing all your money via the internet? I'm sure it has happened to a few unfortunate people, as do all the possible nasty things in life, but no-one in my reasonably broad circle of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances has ever fallen victim to these things (let alone number plate theft).

Yours - no doubt in childlike, blissful ignorance (soon to be destroyed).

I agree, I think we're becoming over cautious and unnecessarily fearful in many ways, and I see no reason to hide my plate in pictures.

However, I HAVE had my number plates copied! Several years ago I was bemused to receive a 'speeding ticket' through the post. Along with the ticket was what appeared to be a 'photo of the rear end of my car taken by a speed camera; colour, type and reg number all accurate. The 'photo was taken on the M11, a road that I did occasionally use - but I was pretty sure not on the date and at the time cited. Checked my diary and found that I was in a restaurant over 100 miles from the alleged offence, and on checking with the restaurant owner I had paid my bill by credit card about 15 minutes after the time of the 'photo.

Contacted the police with my 'evidence' and they were actually very helpful. They accepted my story and thanked me for alerting them to the fact that there was a car out there with a cloned number plate. They said they would put out an alert. They sent me a letter to carry in my glovebox to show to any police officer in case I was stopped. About two weeks later I got another letter to say they had caught the driver of a stolen car that had it's original plates removed and the cloned version of my number attached - and thanked me again for my co-operation.

If somebody is determined to copy a number plate there are plenty of ways of doing so without searching for 'photos on sites like this!

I almost forgot that I also saw my MKI Superb 'for sale' on eBay some 4 - 5 months after I had bought it! all the scammer had done was copy and paste the whole listing including photo's then waited a few months before making their own listing!

The photo's even included the registration number!

All this doom and gloom is no doubt true but life's too short. Identity theft, 'phishers' stealing all your money via the internet? I'm sure it has happened to a few unfortunate people, as do all the possible nasty things in life, but no-one in my reasonably broad circle of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances has ever fallen victim to these things (let alone number plate theft).

Yours - no doubt in childlike, blissful ignorance (soon to be destroyed).

+1

This blurring of plates seems to have been started by the BBC News. I find it quite amusing that the PMs Jaguar has its plates blurred on the Beeb and seconds later they are totally clear on Sky, CNN or ITV. Or ITV blur them and then the BBC forget.

They even caught themselves out with the Royal Wedding - sometimes the Jag plates were blurred and then later they weren't and then later still they were again - all on the same programme. What a joke! Will's Aston Martin Volante probably perplexed the chap who does the 'blurring' with its JU5TWED plate.

Anyway, I'm now off to look for another Aqua Blue Yeti reg. on the Skoda UK website, get some 'show' plates made up via Ebay and then go speeding around the country

To the few "negatives" on here; thanks, but your comments about ID theft have NOTHING to do with your number plate. I will agree that number plates can be cloned, but getting it done from from internet I think is most unlikely. It would be far easier to walk down most town streets and find a similar car to copy (except a Yeti!!)

To the few "negatives" on here; thanks, but your comments about ID theft have NOTHING to do with your number plate. I will agree that number plates can be cloned, but getting it done from from internet I think is most unlikely. It would be far easier to walk down most town streets and find a similar car to copy (except a Yeti!!)

... and indeed no need to find a plate to copy; just need to walk down the street armed with a screwdriver!

Plates are easy to get hold off.....I have just ordered a "Manx" set on the internet to put on my Yeti after I bring it home on the English plates. No documentation required, no questions as to ownership asked! Surely the main factor in cloning though is that you put another vehicle's registration number on a vehicle similar in all respects to the one you are "pinching" the number from! Would have thought there wouldn't be enough spare Yetis around yet.

Would have thought there wouldn't be enough spare Yetis around yet.

You only need one to be able to clone!

Surely it's easier for a crim to look on the Internet to find a car than it is to drive around looking for a car of a particular make, colour etc?

Sounds stupid but when I need a reg to buy some parts for my car (it's a bit of a hybrid) I just look online for a picture of one of those cars with it's reg showing. Of course that's not for malicious purposes but that method could quite easily be used for cloning a plate and potentially getting away with all sorts of things.

Surely it's easier for a crim to look on the Internet to find a car than it is to drive around looking for a car of a particular make, colour etc?

Sounds stupid but when I need a reg to buy some parts for my car (it's a bit of a hybrid) I just look online for a picture of one of those cars with it's reg showing. Of course that's not for malicious purposes but that method could quite easily be used for cloning a plate and potentially getting away with all sorts of things.

I've done exactly the same while looking for Winter Tyre prices this week!

i don't think that keeping private information safe is being particularly negative.

there are a few simple things that i do to prevent becoming a victim of card fraud, id theft and theft in general.

shredding papers with personal details/account numbers etc.

guarding your fingers when using card/pin machines and such like.

now i'm not saying that these will be completely successful, but i am making a small effort to make it more difficult.

i even lock the yeti when i park it.

oh, and when i leave it to pay for fuel.

i doubt anyone on here would leave their yeti parked with the keys in and go off shopping??

the point is that private information is very valuable to the wrong people. even more valuable than your treasured yeti so keep it safe and don't make it easy for the toerags.

i don't think that keeping private information safe is being particularly negative.

there are a few simple things that i do to prevent becoming a victim of card fraud, id theft and theft in general.

shredding papers with personal details/account numbers etc.

guarding your fingers when using card/pin machines and such like.

now i'm not saying that these will be completely successful, but i am making a small effort to make it more difficult.

i even lock the yeti when i park it.

oh, and when i leave it to pay for fuel.

i doubt anyone on here would leave their yeti parked with the keys in and go off shopping??

the point is that private information is very valuable to the wrong people. even more valuable than your treasured yeti so keep it safe and don't make it easy for the toerags.

+1

I am happier to leave my details in private, not from the forum members, but when I search for "wheel arch Yeti", my car came up on google search. I would prefer if this is kept away from non-members. They could access my email address, my home address from the car's registration, which may facilitate all kinds of fraud much easier.

Surely it's easier for a crim to look on the Internet to find a car than it is to drive around looking for a car of a particular make, colour etc?

Sounds stupid but when I need a reg to buy some parts for my car (it's a bit of a hybrid) I just look online for a picture of one of those cars with it's reg showing. Of course that's not for malicious purposes but that method could quite easily be used for cloning a plate and potentially getting away with all sorts of things.

...and let's hope insurance brokers and companies are keeping our details safe! They've fot everything, address, name, credit card, reg.

There is a huge house on our street. The extended family is run by a

grumpy old woman with a pack of irritable dogs allowed to run without

leads.

Her car isn't taxed or insured and doesn't even have a number plate, but

the police still do nothing.

I ask you why ???

There is a huge house on our street. The extended family is run by a

grumpy old woman with a pack of irritable dogs allowed to run without

leads.

Her car isn't taxed or insured and doesn't even have a number plate, but

the police still do nothing.

I ask you why ???

If it doesn't have a number plate then I guess the only way to find out if it is hers is by going to the engine and chassis number...the council or police might just prefer to leave it - too much work.

Edited 2 May, 201115 yr by My_Yeti

There is a huge house on our street. The extended family is run by a

grumpy old woman with a pack of irritable dogs allowed to run without

leads.

Her car isn't taxed or insured and doesn't even have a number plate, but

the police still do nothing.

I ask you why ???

Is she the one whose Grandson had a bit of a do last Friday?

There is a huge house on our street. The extended family is run by a

grumpy old woman with a pack of irritable dogs allowed to run without

leads.

Her car isn't taxed or insured and doesn't even have a number plate, but

the police still do nothing.

I ask you why ???

Sorry, can't hear you!