Drivers warned over ‘resteal’ con as UK hotspot revealed… are you at risk?

BRITS are being warned about a used car-selling scam that's on the rise - and dozens of victims are falling for it.

The plot is dubbed "resteal" and unfolds just days after drivers buy a new set of wheels.

Scammers are said to be selling second-hand vehicles to buyers, only to steal the cars in the hours after they've got the keys.

The seller then repeats the crime with the same car to the next buyer, and the next, and the cycle continues.

Experts say there are certain hotspots around the UK where Brits are sadly unknowingly falling victim to con artists.

Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), a motor insurance  loss adjustment firm, says the trick is being repeated all across the country - but mainly in the North of England.

Philip Swift, a former detective and now the boss of CMA, says the scam is a mix of theft and fraud.

He said that is "repeated in rapid succession to devastating effect".

The expert said the scammers have a number of tricks up their sleeve - like stealing the identities of genuine cars online and then listing them with a cheap price tag.

This way even if the potential buyer checks the plates the car will seem legitimate.

Then, when the happy new owner has the keys in their hand, and the car back home, it'll get stolen.

That's because the scammers would have followed them back to their neighborhood - before stealing the car with a duplicate key in the days that follow.

Philip told "These unscrupulous crooks leave havoc in their wake, for both the innocent purchasers and the owner of the legitimate vehicle whose identity has been replicated. 

"The former will have to explain to their insurance company that their new car has been stolen, which immediately sets alarm bells ringing. 

"The latter might be merrily driving along when they are stopped and arrested – because the police understandably, though incorrectly, believe they have found a stolen car; in fact, they have detained a victim of vehicle identity theft."