When you report a vehicle stolen the vehicle identification number (VIN) is tracked, making it harder for thieves to sell the stolen car. However thieves are now cloning the VIN’s from legitimate vehicles, adding them to stolen ones, and making them appear legal..

"Right now, cloning is by far our biggest car theft challenge, the good news is, it's preventable." Supervisory Special Agent Ryan Toole, who leads our vehicle theft program at FBI Headquarters in Washington.

Not only will you be out money that you paid for the car, as the authorities will be required to repossessed it as stolen goods, but a worst case scenario would be that you would end up with a fine or criminal record for possessing stolen merchandise.

The following five tips will help to protect you from becoming a car clone victim:

1) MAINTENANCE RECORDS You should also inspect all maintenance records, which are not only a good way to see if the car was stolen, but also will give you a hint of how well the car has been taken care of. Checking the mileage over time on the maintenance records is one good step to ensure that the seller did not tamper with the odometer.

2) REGISTRATION PAPERS The registration papers will give you some clues about the vehicle. Make sure the license plate on the car matches the numbers on the registration papers. Make sure the owner’s name matches the sellers - and ask for picture ID.

3) LOW SALE PRICE If the car seller is asking a ridiculously low price for the vehicle, inquire why. Smart buyers usually research car prices online before purchasing. To check current car values simply search for a similar vehicle on a popular car classified website. If the vehicles asking price is significantly lower, be suspicious, the car could be stolen or there may be something else wrong with it. You don’t want to end of with a lemon either.

4) VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Check the VIN - Every vehicle sold has a VIN. This number should match the number on the title and registration. The VIN is located on the driver's side above the dashboard, inside the driver door and under the hood. Look for any signs that these numbers could have been tampered with. If the windshield contains slight damages, such as scratch marks around the area, or there are scratches or gouges on the dashboard, there is a strong possibility that the VIN has been replaced. If so, the car is probably stolen, and it’s best to move on.

5) INTUITION Trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you feel suspicious about a vehicle or the seller, walk away. Even if the vehicle was not stolen, reconstructed after flood damage or older than it appears, it’s not worth taking the risk. There are plenty of other used cars available.

The best way to ensure you don’t end up with a stolen vehicle is to buy your used car from a reputable dealer. Not only will the chance of buying a problem vehicle be much smaller, resolving any issue will be much simpler if the need arises.

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ABOUT THE WRITERS David Leonhardt and Corey Rozon are freelance writers from Ottawa. You can find Canadian used vehicles such as used Subaru vehicles at MonsterAuto.ca.