One thing about car thieves, they will make all the necessary modifications to stolen cars to avoid being caught. Unfortunately, the robbers who had stolen a 2007 Cadillac Escalade were not so lucky. Originally stolen last February 1, 2008, special agents and the NICB had recovered the said vehicle but this time sporting a new look, a stretched limo look!

Apparently this transformation went under a complicated process. In fact, it was manufactured by a limo company, unsuspecting that the car they are transforming was actually stolen. It eventually landed in the hands of a businessman in Texas which was sold for $125,000. A vehicle identification number actually gave it away.

“Consumers need to exercise sound judgment when buying used vehicles from private parties or online services,” said Joe Wehrle, NICB president and chief executive officer. “In this case an innocent purchaser may be out thousands of dollars as a result of this transaction. So, if in doubt, check it out carefully before you hand over the cash.”

This quote may seem contradicting to the rampant push for online car buying. If this is one of the thing that they will encounter, it will severely affect the business intent of online car sellers for sure.

(Source) Press

Tags: 2007 cadillac escalade, business intent, businessman, Cadillac, car thieves, chief executive officer, doubt, limo company, necessary modifications, nicb, online car sellers, private parties, purchaser, robbers, sound judgment, thousands of dollars, transformation, vehicle identification number, wehrle

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With carjackers and wiser thieves preying on vehicles today, the need to be safe and secure with various initiatives has become a growing need. However, the problem is that some car owners fail to be well-oriented on the preventive measures for such incidents, something that Lo Jack and the National Insurance Crime Bureau want to enhance with the Third Annual Vehicle Theft Protection Education Initiative.

“In today’s challenging economy, many people are keeping their vehicles longer, which is creating a brisk business for thieves who steal popular cars, trucks, motorcycles and heavy equipment, strip them down and sell off the parts,” said D.J. Thompson, Law Enforcement Director for LoJack and theft prevention expert.

As references to help motorists to become aware of such threats, added resources have been put up by the two groups:

• New Audio Podcast: In LoJack and NICB’s latest educational podcast (http://bit.ly/4raiEx), a victim of vehicle theft details how his 2000 Honda Civic was stolen, taken to Mexico and later recovered.
• New Twitter Page: LoJack and NICB’s Vehicle Theft Protection Twitter page – http://twitter.com/TheftProtection – is designed to help drivers better understand how to protect their cars, trucks and motorcycles from theft.
• Downloadable Booklet: “Get in the Know” – http://bit.ly/kZt94 – is an educational booklet co-produced by LoJack and NICB that details the steps owners can take to protect their vehicles from theft.

(Source) Press

Tags: brisk business, car owners, education initiative, educational booklet, heavy equipment, honda civic, lo jack, lojack, motorists, national insurance crime bureau, nicb, popular cars, preventive measures, theft prevention, thieves, twitter, vehicle theft protection

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