Newsletters

September 2006

Identity Theft: Is Your Dealership Next?

You don’t have to look far to find case after case of dealerships across the nation who have fallen victim to identity thieves. The sad part is, many of them – if not all – could have been prevented. Do any of these real-life cases sound familiar?

Dealership ID Theft: Around the Nation

Orlando, Florida:
In an organized identity theft ring, thieves used stolen identities to buy seven used vehicles from an Orlando dealership.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
Police reported a man using a fake identification to purchase a 2005 Dodge Magnum station wagon from a Philadelphia auto dealership.

Chicago, Illinois:
A local court set a bond at $250,000 for a Chicago man who allegedly used fake driver's licenses to purchase bigticket items, including luxury cars.

In a 2002 letter to the Federal Trade Commission, the Texas Automobile Dealers Association expressed its concern about the threat of identity theft as “a significant risk to all parties in the [automobile] sales transaction...”

That statement was true then, and it’s true today. From confirming your customers’ identity to validating the legitimacy of their checking accounts, the risk of fraud due to identity theft affects every stage of every auto sales transaction.

Could You Spot a Thief if You Saw One?

Probably not. After all, thieves don’t always look like thieves, especially in today’s complex and sophisticated world of identity theft. But here’s the good news: with all the identity theft solutions available to automobile dealerships today, there’s no reason to be fooled – or to become the next victim.

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