Scammers could steal your identity if you post a picture of your car’s log book online when selling it second-hand.
That’s the warning from the DVLA as a wave of owners flocks to sell their vehicles privately after the pandemic.
And it is a requirement that to sell a car, it must come complete with a log book - or V5C document - which contains all the vehicle’s statistics as well as ownership details, Birmingham Live reports.
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It’s shockingly common for people to share an image of the log book when listing their vehicle on sites like Autotrader, but few realise how easy it is for scammers to steal their identity from the document, gain access to bank accounts, or even forge fake number plates and ownership of another person’s car from the information in the photo.
According to the DVLA, drivers shouldn't "share photos of your V5C log book on social media or selling sites, as scammers can use them for identity theft."
Another common scam that happened to one driver recently involved a potential buyer for his car coming round to his house, taking his V5C details and using them to commit fraud.
One motorist on MoneySavingExpert said: "I listed my car on Autotrader just over a week ago, the first interested buyer that came to look at the car has somehow taken the reference number from the v5 and registered my car in a new name and address.
"I must admit, the man seemed nice and polite but I have been well and truly scammed."
Anyone who is the victim of a scam or aware of suspicious behaviour should inform Action Fraud and the DVLA.
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