I very recently came across a Vehicle Advert in the Autos Section of this Forum, as I so often do, and was about to make a VIN request, as I also often do, but I noticed I had been beaten to the punch by a fellow interested, as I am, in making the aforementioned section a more transparent and a safer marketplace for buyers and sellers alike.

I also noticed the reluctance of the seller to provide the VIN. This isn't exactly unusual, as while significant progress has been made and a lot of adverts now include the VIN and relevant vehicle history, some sellers still express significant resistance to the idea for a number of often less-than-rational reasons.

However, as I often do, I further investigated the vehicle put up for sale, which appeared to be a US-origin 'Tokunbo' 2014 Toyota Venza, LE Trim, ostensibly sporting the 2.7 L 1AR-FE I4 and finished in Barcelona Red Metallic (3R3) color scheme.

The results of my investigation have prompted this thread.

https://www.nairaland.com/4458017/sparkling-red-toks-2014-toyota

A standard US (And Canadian) market passenger vehicle has a 17- Character AlphaNumeric identification tag referred to as the VIN or Chassis Number, and is a unique identifier, a sort of automobile fingerprint that identifies and encodes an array of details and information about a specific vehicle.

Generally, no two vehicles have the same VIN. There are a few exceptions but those go beyond the scope of this discourse, as does a lot of information about VIN that would bog down the purpose of this thread.

On further investigation, I obtained the Driver door jamb VIN stamp for the advertised Red 2014 Toyota Venza LE, which I have attached.

At first glance this would seem like a standard VIN/Vehicle Information sticker. Everything seems to be in place, nothing out of the ordinary.

However on closer examination I noticed a couple of oddities that would be quite easy to miss. This prompted even deeper investigation.

It's common knowledge that a significant amount of information about a vehicle history can often be gleaned from the VIN, especially with US, and to a slightly lesser extent, Canadian Used vehicles. A VIN tells a story about a vehicle, a sort of AUTObiography, it may not tell the whole story, as sometimes information about a vehicle is kept off the sources that provide these VIN reports, deliberately or by happenstance, for varying reasons.

However it may not be as easily known or understood that the 17 character VIN is a mathematically determined Number, seemingly random but must pass a series of tests to be deemed valid. It also cannot contain certain numbers and alphabets, or is otherwise invalid.

The details about the mathematical derivation and the process to arrive at a mathematically validating VIN would be beyond the scope of this topic. Interested parties or enthusiasts are welcome to visit

http://www.vsource.org/VFR-RVF_files/BVINcalc.htm

For details on the subject.

For the purposes of this thread I will be using an online VIN validating website with the algorithm embedded:

http://formvalidation.io/validators/vin/

The following are VIN stamps for similar 2014 Toyota Venza LE/XLE/LIMITED AWD models.

I will be using the aforementioned online resource to demonstrate self-validating VINs for each of them.

Vehicle 1
A similar 2014 Model Year Toyota Venza LE finished in Red.

VIN 4T3ZA3BB5EU085389

Comes up as mathematically Validating.

Vehicle 2

VIN 4T3ZK3BB7EU068929

Validating

Vehicle 3

VIN 4T3ZA3BBXEU081211

Validating

These other VINs are all validating.

Here we return to the VIN of the study Vehicle.

VIN 4T3ZA3BB6EU086998

Non Validating

Further examination of the valid VIN stamps posted above will reveal the following.

1. They are all identical except for the details about the numbers, and the encoded bar binary. The fonts are all the same and they all have an almost imperceptible Toyota watermark introduced specifically to combat this type of fraud.

2. The text in the descriptions are identical down to spacing and punctuation.

A closer look at the VIN stamp from the study Vehicle reveals the following:

1. The fonts are different from the above valid stamps. The spacing is off, the word 'Vehicle' is misspelled, and 'Made' is displayed as 'Model', the punctuation is also misplaced.

2. The Toyota watermark is absent. This was printed on a generic black sticker.

I proceeded to examine the encoded 1D barcode and the barcode came up as a 2002 Toyota Camry VIN 4T1BE32K42U587577

On the strength of the above, I came to the following conclusions:

1. One of the most common reasons for such radical VIN Tampering is to enable stolen or Insurance Scam Vehicles be exported. The vehicle in question may well have been stolen, or otherwise illegally acquired.

2. VIN Tampering is a Felony in the US. It's taken even more seriously than odometer tampering, which is also a Felony. I was, unfortunately unsurprisingly, unable to find similar entries in the Nigerian penal codes and automobile regulations.


3. The VIN sticker is easier or more subject to tampering because of its ease of access. This is not the same for some of the other locations of the VIN for these vehicles, one of which is just below the drivers windscreen dash, stamped in a location that would require the Vehicle Windscreen to be removed to alter. I'd wager that wasn't done in this instance.

4. In this case the sequential production number was the altered number. The last 6-digit number (in this case) which usually represents the serial factory production number.


I am well aware this may not exactly be a unique occurrence, as I have made similar discoveries elsewhere, but it's the first I've come across such an obvious case with verifiable evidence, on this forum.

I encourage any interested parties and the forum in general to be more attentive to vehicle advertisements. This is one of the strong justifications for making not just the VINs available, but including a photo of the VIN sticker/stamp with every vehicle advert in the Autos Section.

I welcome interested parties to subject these findings to the same process, and indicate any flaws discovered.

Thank you.

Now this is some real investigative stuff.. Thumbs up bro.. I can't wait Ness even me would have been fooled. Now I know better..

Nice one Cosplay.... But wait o.. You be Police?

This is rather impressive. Significant dedication and considerable knowledge clearly went into this investigation.

GAZZUZZ:
saw exact same ish in my workshop during a vehicle inspection.

Summary: it was a stolen vehicle.

Thumbs up ipfreely.

is ipfreely and cosplay one and the same?

GAZZUZZ:
saw exact same ish in my workshop during a vehicle inspection.

Summary: it was a stolen vehicle.

Thumbs up ipfreely.

Thank you, but this was not my investigation.

GAZZUZZ:


Oh I forgot... I am cosplay

That is impersonation. It shall not be tolerated

Indeed we are all cosplay.

CIA + FBI + SSS so na stolen car be dat?

why dis kin thing no go enter front page. na only big broda Tanzania
who be mod for here sef
lalasticlala mynd44 explorers gazzuzz egunmogaji come push am go frontpage marpol

Nice one Cosplay for this great eye opener....



Sanity needs to be restored in this auto section but sadly, Seun and the invisible mods aren't doing anything about it.




Only auto section on nairaland has no mods.!!!

Cosplay:


That is impersonation. It shall not be tolerated

And you have the effrontery to tag me as another moniker?

LeJeun3:


Wow.....speechless!

This is done all the time bro. Why are you speechless? But I think cosplay's conclusions smirks of shortsightedness... As VIN can be irregular or non consistent due to a plethora of other reasons.

Jazzlite:

This is done all the time bro. Why are you speechless? But I think cosplay's conclusions smirks of shortsightedness... As VIN can be irregular or non consistent due to a plethora of other reasons.

It’s a discussion, so all opinions are welcome. Even critical opinions Sir.
To counter, no, it’s not ‘done all the time’. Like I noted,it may not be rare, but this instance is one of the evidence based cases.
However in this specific instance my conclusions are solid and I stand by them.

Perhaps you’d like to show how you arrived at your own conclusions?

Cosplay:


It’s a discussion, so all opinions are welcome. Even critical opinions Sir.

However in this specific instance my conclusions are solid and I stand by them.

Perhaps you’d like to show how you arrived at your own conclusions?

I will post a picture as soon as I get to the workshop.

Jazzlite:

I will post a picture as soon as I get to the workshop.

You should also take note of the other features of the case study VIN sticker besides the numbers.

Cosplay weldone and good job there.
Thanks for this insightful investigations on vehicles on this forum and I also want to appreciate the fact that some of us in here have been learning one or two things from you.
I still wonder why you have not been made a MOD.

Cosplay:


You should also take note of the other features of the case study VIN sticker besides the numbers.

You will have more than a eyeful.

LeJeun3:





Please give us insight into these plethora of other reasons . Thanks

A. In the case of a vehicle involved in a accident...that part of the front chassis had to be cut off.... and replaced....the VIN will definitely be compromised.
I would have love to explain in pictures...but unfortunately I am tied up somewhere. But I will still do.

By the way Oga I want to inspect Range Rovers too.

Cosplay how can i reach you privately??