Jun 162011
AVCIS, the Association of Police Officer’s Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, has reported that BMW is the criminal’s vehicle manufacturer of choice when attempting to purchase a vehicle through fraudulently acquired finance in the UK.
Between 2008 and 2011, AVCIS has identified that 181 BMWs were acquired through finance fraud, as well as 176 Mercedes-Benz and 174 Audis, which represent some of the most popular high-end vehicles on the road.
“Many of the models which are being acquired by finance fraud are classed as aspirational vehicles and in a less than buoyant economic climate, people are providing misleading or false information in an attempt to qualify for products that they normally would not be able to purchase,” says Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper, Head of AVCIS.
Finance fraud is a serious offence and according to AVCIS’ stakeholder, the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA), there were almost 10,000 fraudulent applications to motor finance providers during 2010, worth a total of over £116 million. However, arduous checks by finance companies kept the number of actual cases of fraud down to 832, worth a total of £14.6 million, illustrating the power of the industry to clamp down on crime.*
AVCIS VFU has already recovered 890 vehicles worth over £14 million and made over 260 arrests and continues to work alongside the FLA to reduce the number of vehicles obtained through fraud. “We have worked with the FLA effectively over the past four years and have had a huge amount of success in combating vehicle finance fraud. The message is clear: don’t lie to get motor finance, you will be caught,” added DCI Hooper.
These figures have been releases by AVCIS as part of Car Crime Awareness Week, which runs from 13-19 June 2001. For more information on vehicle crime and AVCIS visit www.avcis.police.uk.
The top 10 marques obtained from fraudulently acquired finance
1. BMW
2. Mercedes-Benz
3. Audi
4. Ford
5. Volkswagen
6. Vauxhall
7. Toyota
8. Renault
9. Land Rover
10. Lexus
