PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Authorities helped an out-of-state driver who discovered someone fraudulently used his identity to register a car in Arizona.
On Sept. 2, a California driver tried to renew his vehicle registration but was told that his car was titled in Arizona instead. The owner contacted the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Fraud Hotline and provided documents showing proof of ownership, previous registration and the California title in his name.
Authorities began to dig into the complaint and discovered a vehicle with the same VIN was registered in Arizona in February 2024. That vehicle was reported stolen by the San Diego Police Department back in July 2022.
According to ADOT, a duplicate California title with the victim’s name and signature was used to title the stolen vehicle in Arizona. The victim said he never sold his vehicle, never accepted money for it and did not sign a title or request a duplicate title. In addition, the address that was used on the Arizona title was not his own.
Eight days after the report was made, ADOT investigators canceled the Arizona title, allowing the victim to receive his California registration. The stolen vehicle was seized and turned over to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
“We are very pleased to hear that the victim was happy with our efforts to help get his vehicle properly registered in his home state,” said Lieutenant Jason Henderson with ADOT’s Office of Inspector General. “It is also a great feeling to help get a stolen vehicle off Arizona streets and back to the rightful owner. We encourage anyone who suspects fraudulent activity against their driver license or ID card, vehicle registration or title to report it immediately.”
ADOT’s Fraud Hotline is available 24/7 to those who suspect fraud or criminal activity involving driver licenses, title and registration. If you believe you may be victim to a crime, call (877) 712-2370, email fraud@azdot.gov or file a report at azdot.gov/incident-report.
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