Criminals increasingly stealing rented cars, reselling with false papers

Criminals are increasingly renting or leasing cars and then reselling them with false papers. Last year, the police received almost 1,300 reports of obfuscation, as this type of crime is called. In 2016, there were only 450 reports, the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence and Expertise Center (LIV) said on Friday based on police figures.

“You don’t have to hack into an obfuscated vehicle; you get an original key and sometimes even an original registration certificate,” said Rudie Welling of LIV. “That gives criminals time to drive through Europe unhindered and sell the vehicle, often with false or forged papers, to an unsuspecting buyer. The leasing or rental company often only discovers this after some time.”

The fact that obfuscation is becoming more common is at odds with the trend regarding all vehicle thefts. Last year, fewer cars were stolen, and a larger proportion were recovered. In 2023, the police recorded a total of 5,844 reports of stolen passenger cars. Of these, 47 percent were recovered, the highest share in ten years. In 2022, 5,973 reports were filed. Toyota was again the most stolen brand last year. Thieves mainly targeted hybrid cars from the Japanese car brand.

Fewer scooters and mopeds were stolen in 2023. The police did note more motorcycle thefts: this number increased by about 11 percent to almost 1,900 units. The number of stolen company cars also increased slightly.