I have noticed that some people black out or obscure their plate numbers in pics, especially when selling. Is there really any risk if you don't? and how can someone use that againts you?

I think just general paranoia. kinda sad....

It is an identifier, in case someone wants to track the car down. Sure, you could find the info other ways, but thieves are simple creatures and will take whats handed to them before having to do thier own legwork.

Zach

Unfortunately, there are numerous thieves in the world (not necessarily referring to '914 world', but the world in general), and rather than performing meaningful work, they live off of others.

Someone can obtain your SS# and bank accounts if they have the right connections, right?

How about the DMV? ... you think an employee might sell your address to someone else for a little extra cash?

Use every precaution possible when selling anything of value, especially your car.

There's a thread in here about having a car stolen at gunpoint ...

there are other reasons to black out the plate number.

how about those (random) 10,000+ people that see your license plate every day when you drive to/from work?

do you black it out when you drive as well?

because i'm pretty positive there's quite a few thieves in the mix as well ...
Andy

I agree, thieves are everywhere ... so why place yourself at higher risk. I never worried about it years ago, but times have changed ...

A few years back, I advertised some custom bikes for sale, 'prospective buyers' would call, set up appointments and the asswipes never showed up or called back ... and they had my location info.

We go through a more thorough screening process now ... and installed a real nice security system


I know a few guys that have had their scooters hijacked at a stoplight ... just saying be aware of your surroundings and be preparred for the unexpected. It's not paranoia, just good sense.

... ask Leamon what he thinks about this subject.

I guess I'm just way too innocent.

How would knowing your license plate number make it any easier to steal your car?

I do understand how prospective buyers phoning could be a free ticket for a steal to order job. Is the net the same sort of thing? "I have an order for a 73 914 I'll just pop on 914 world find a nice one and locate it through the plate number." Sounds a little convoluted.

Having your license plate exposed could help someone link your net identity to your real world identity but that's a whole other thing.

"We go through a more thorough screening process now"

Which is ... gold card number ?.....

I did have on the bad side.. a guy doing a test drive in a Military jeep I was selling miss shift and locked up the rear end .. then panicked locked ..up the brakes and almost flipped us not seeing a car, passing coming the other way .... Thank God he bought it or I would have killed him......

Now I know why a friend will let you do a test drive after he has the cash !... refund if you don't like it "after" the drive ... ( He sells a lot of HD's )

I agree, seems strange. Its easy enough to get peoples address with just their name. We mostly all post our names here so it seems funny that people would go to hassel of blacking out a plate number.

I don't know if the law has changed but you used to be able to go to the MD DMV w/ a plate number & $1.00 & they would give you the owners name & address- legally. So if a thief saw your toy & wanted to find it & steal it that's all it took- he did not have to follow you home. I also know the MD DMV used to sell their data to marketing firms for extra money. Those firms would then sell that info to their clients.


BTW- my garage is double locked on all the exterior doors & is alarmed w/ battery back up. Telephone line is burried so it can't be cut. I also unplug my garage door opener so no one can sit outside w/ a variable frequency transmitter & activate the door. Paranoid? Hell yes!!

You're not paranoid unless you're loosing sleep worrying about it. Sounds like you did some sensible things to reduce your risk ...

Well, you guys banter about, I've had my say on the subject.

True, 10,000 people may see your plate every day.

But how many of them are (1) people interested in your 914, and (2) interested in stealing it?

Likely, none.

If you are interested in stealing a 914 (or, say, for arguments sake, a 914-6), you aren't going to sit on a corner and wait for one to drive by. What are you going to do? Easy, turn on your computer and go to all the 914 sites, do searches, see all the pretty 914, pick out a nice one you like, get the plate, call the DMV and use a fake name to report an accident and get the address for said 914, and you are in biz. (There are other ways to get the address from the license number, too).

Sure, the odds of that happening are small. But they are infinitely higher for the guy who posts pics and info of his car and plates than for the guy who does not.

Well if what you guys are saying is true, I am going to jack this murcie this weekend. Wish me luck!
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