Might want to pass this around...having made keys for folks based upon
VIN numbers when working at my Dad's dealership as a youth I can understand
how this could easily be done...(small town...usually knew the person tho...)



>Subject: NEW ANGLE BY THIEVES.
>Importance: High
>
>
>It seems that car thieves have found another way to steal your car or
>truck without any effort at all. The car thieves peer through the
>windshield of your car or truck, write down the VIN number from the label
>on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key
>based on the VIN number. The car dealer's parts dept will make a duplicate
>key from the VIN number and collect payment from the thief who will return
>to your car.  He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle,
>or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is to walk up to your car,
>insert the key and off he goes to a local chop shop with your vehicle. You
>don't believe it? It IS that easy. To avoid this from happening to you,
>simply put some tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across
>the VIN label located on the dash board. By law, you cannot remove the VIN
>number, but you can cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield
>by a car thief.  I urge you to forward this to your friends before some
>other car thief steals another car or truck.
>
>
>Roland went to <http://www.Snopes.com>www.Snopes.com and found this to be
>true.
>
>To avoid having your vehicle stolen, simply put opaque tape (like a strip
>of electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN label
>located on the dash board. You can't remove the VIN number legally under
>most state laws, so cover it so that it can't be viewed through the
>windshield by a car thief.

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *