VIN NUMBER - WARNING

[Chief Walks]

VIN NUMBER - WARNING
Here is INFO worth the price of your car.... WHAT WILL the car thieves THINK OF NEXT? The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #. I didn't believe this e-mail, so I called A local GM dealer and pretended I had lost my keys. They told me to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the keyless device if I wanted.
The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, 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 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 dark tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Number Metal Label located on the dashboard. By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you CAN cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield by a car thief.
P.S. Snopes.com confirms this is true!

[Loretta Riddell (Elohi)]

Thank You for the Info.. time to put my bobble head doll back in the truck with some double sided tape.. sharing your story

[Val]

Good info thank you so much for sharing this. I will share this with others for sure

[Ms. Down-to-Earth]

Thanks for posting this info.

[LadyHawkღ]

It's a good article to make people aware that this can happen.
I worked for a tow company that was part of a Chevy dealership for many years and it wasn't that easy. If the dealership you called just gave you the keys without a license plate number and ID they need to be turned in. All dealerships now have access to the national registry and it takes 2 minutes for them to run your lic plate and verify the vin and that you are the registered owner. No ID~no keys. The excuse that it's my friends car and he'll kill me because I lost the keys shouldn't work either.
The ones that were primarily guilty of this were the mobile locksmiths. If you lose your keys they should open the door and then ask for the registration and then check your drivers license. If it doesn't match most will lock the car back up and tell the customer they can't make a key until the owner is there. They know it only takes one stupid mistake for them to lose their license and they cannot ever be bonded again.
Tape on the dash to cover the vin # is a good idea but during the heat of the summer the tape gets soft and molds around the numbers so they can become visible. What is usually recommended is just a shopping receipt or small piece of cardboard placed over the vin #. I use a small shopping receipt...easy to move and no sticky tape mess if you need to get to the vin #.