Beware! A woman fell victim to an impersonation scam that cost her over $1000 in fines
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The convenience of online marketplaces has transformed the way we buy and sell things. But it's not all rainbows and butterflies. For all the great bargains and connections facilitated by these platforms, there are scams and fraudulent activities that we all need to be wary of.
For one woman, an attempt to sell her car online took a costly turn she wouldn’t have imagined.
Daniela Pobega, a 71-year-old lady living in Rosebud, about 90 kilometres south of Melbourne, decided to sell her white Audi A3 online on 20 September. She listed her car without blocking her registration number, a seemingly harmless mistake that subsequently cost her plenty.
She later discovered her number plate had been cloned by another motorist. As a result, she was hit with $1,100 in speeding fines and was charged with nine demerit points.
According to Pobega, the incidents were believed to have occurred on Ring Road near Adreer, over one hundred kilometres away from her home.
‘[It all happened] on the other side of town,’ Ms Pobega said.
'I'm not travelling up and down [Ring Road] every day, especially at my age,' she added.
The driver, who cloned Ms Pobega’s registration number, was believed to have changed the plates on the car.
Ms Pobega is now contesting her demerit points so she won’t lose her license.
Carsales Senior Editor Sam Charlwood explained that criminals copy the registration plates of advertised vehicles to carry out their plans, often using the plates on stolen cars of a similar model and make.
‘It means that they [criminals] can use your number plate to run...through speed cameras [and] even conduct crimes without police or authorities having any idea,’ Mr Charlwood said.
Plate cloning is an act to falsify the registration plate of another vehicle. Criminals use this strategy to conduct their misdemeanours anonymously, such as reckless driving, driving through tollways, and committing criminal acts using a fake plate number.
Owners of the plates do not figure out that their numbers have been cloned until they receive fines and toll bills after a few months.
For those who are planning to sell their vehicles online, please ensure that your car's number plate is blocked or blurred in any photos you post!
And for members who are drivers, make sure that you’re also practising safe driving while on the road! In a previous story, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts issued thousands of infringement notices due to irresponsible drivers getting caught for several unsafe driving practices. Read more about the story here.
If you ever find yourself similar to Ms Pobega’s situation, immediately contact your local police and contest any fines incorrectly charged to you.
What do you think of this story? Do you have any safety tips for those who want to sell items online? Share them in the comments section below!
For one woman, an attempt to sell her car online took a costly turn she wouldn’t have imagined.
Daniela Pobega, a 71-year-old lady living in Rosebud, about 90 kilometres south of Melbourne, decided to sell her white Audi A3 online on 20 September. She listed her car without blocking her registration number, a seemingly harmless mistake that subsequently cost her plenty.
She later discovered her number plate had been cloned by another motorist. As a result, she was hit with $1,100 in speeding fines and was charged with nine demerit points.
According to Pobega, the incidents were believed to have occurred on Ring Road near Adreer, over one hundred kilometres away from her home.
Daniella Pobega was charged with over $1,000 in speeding fines and nine demerit points after her number plate was cloned. Credit: 7news.com.au / Audi
‘[It all happened] on the other side of town,’ Ms Pobega said.
'I'm not travelling up and down [Ring Road] every day, especially at my age,' she added.
The driver, who cloned Ms Pobega’s registration number, was believed to have changed the plates on the car.
Ms Pobega is now contesting her demerit points so she won’t lose her license.
Carsales Senior Editor Sam Charlwood explained that criminals copy the registration plates of advertised vehicles to carry out their plans, often using the plates on stolen cars of a similar model and make.
‘It means that they [criminals] can use your number plate to run...through speed cameras [and] even conduct crimes without police or authorities having any idea,’ Mr Charlwood said.
Plate cloning is an act to falsify the registration plate of another vehicle. Criminals use this strategy to conduct their misdemeanours anonymously, such as reckless driving, driving through tollways, and committing criminal acts using a fake plate number.
Owners of the plates do not figure out that their numbers have been cloned until they receive fines and toll bills after a few months.
For those who are planning to sell their vehicles online, please ensure that your car's number plate is blocked or blurred in any photos you post!
And for members who are drivers, make sure that you’re also practising safe driving while on the road! In a previous story, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts issued thousands of infringement notices due to irresponsible drivers getting caught for several unsafe driving practices. Read more about the story here.
If you ever find yourself similar to Ms Pobega’s situation, immediately contact your local police and contest any fines incorrectly charged to you.
What do you think of this story? Do you have any safety tips for those who want to sell items online? Share them in the comments section below!
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