Cars with lower mileage are worth more, thus the incentive for fraud to occur. Now that cars have digital odometers, odometer fraud is much greater because it is much easier. It no longer occurs mechanically. Instead, a digital odometer can be rolled back in just seconds by using a small electronic device available on the internet on websites like Ebay for around $300. Tampering with an odometer is not just fraud, it is criminal. And it does not just occur by used car dealers, it also occurs by individuals who make it their business to profit from auto fraud. If an odometer is repaired or replaced legally, a notice must be posted on the driver’s side door frame.
How can you protect yourself from odometer fraud? Ask to see the odometer statement for when the car has been sold before, service records, oil-change stickers, or other documents that state mileage. Contact the previous owner(s) to the one who is selling it now. You can do this by first completing and submitting Form 90510 to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which will give you the name and history of the vehicle’s previous owner(s) and odometer readings. Carfax is offering for free if there are red flags about possible odometer fraud. Govern yourself by the old adage: If it seems to good to be true, it very likely is.
If you suspect that you have been the victim of odometer fraud, you have remedies in a court of law. You can also file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General’s Office online at complaint with the Attorney General’s Office online or by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.
