What does "cloned VIN" mean?

A cloned vehicle is a car that has had its VIN modified or tampered to match the VIN of another vehicle.

This is typically done to mask the VIN of a stolen vehicle. A cloned vehicle that has had its VIN changed can be seized by police. The owner of the vehicle must contact the DMV with the fraudulent VIN to issue a Cloned VIN Alert.

If the CARFAX Canada report is showing history in another province or in the United States, double check with the seller to make sure it's accurate. If the seller says the vehicle has never been to the United States or registered in another province yet it’s shown on the report, please have the owner contact the customer support team to investigate this further. If a VIN is cloned, there are steps the owner must take to have the incorrect records revoked.