According to recent Home Office figures, car theft levels fell by 12 per cent in the year leading up to June 2008. Despite the positive trend, car checking service HPI are warning used car buyers that car criminals are becoming more sophisticated, as well as providing tips on how to avoid a dodgy deal.

The director of HPI, Nick Lindsay, reportedly commented: Although it’s encouraging to see that vehicle related thefts are down by 12%, HPI Checks still reveal around 30 stolen vehicles a day and many of those may be sold on to unsuspecting buyers looking for a bargain. In the current climate, whilst theft might not be as big a problem as in the past, fraud is still a major issue. Outstanding finance is the biggest threat facing used car buyers, with 24 out of every 100 cars checked by HPI still subject to a finance agreement, and this figure is likely to increase as we head towards recession and people find they need to get hold of cash quickly. Many people may not realise that if they buy a car still on finance, they stand to lose both their money and the vehicle, which still belongs to the finance house.

He reportedly continued: The HPI Check offers used car buyers the peace of mind that their potential dream machine doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare on wheels. Used car criminals are frequently turning to more and more ingenious ways to pull the wool of over the eye of unsuspecting consumers. Vehicle theft may be down, but fraud continues to be a big threat, and HPI’s Guarantee is the only one to include a V5 document check as well as offering protection against the increasing risk of purchasing a cloned vehicle. HPI’s vast database of information offers buyers instant verification of a vehicle’s status, closing the net on the criminals.