[billy.batson]

Why do some people obliterate or obscure their number plates when posting photos on here? Can't really see the need for privacy, after all the owners are anonymous on here, and of course the plates are publicly visible on the actual cars. Is there a reason I have not thought of?

[DaFlake]

Some people are just being cautious.... With a number plate in the US, you can actually get the address of the owner and make yourself a target for theft.

[thebadun]

Sometimes criminals looking to clone a car will try and find a plate on the internet. I always blank plates out for that reason. Of course they could go and find a physical car, but why make their 'job' any easier?

p.s. sorry if this breaches site rules, please delete this post if it does.

[DaFlake]

No site rules broken.. Good information that can protect other users.

[Ant FR]

put it like this Bill, Here it goes

You post a pic of your car, and on the same site you post some more details up like, you own a rare tortoise that you leave in your garden.

I do a search on your number plate on google, it brings up an ad you used to sell your car a few months back on ebay / pistonheads, that may then give me your home phone number. I then search again using the details i have picked up, on your address from the sale ads, i then do a polite call to your number, and ascertain your full name by a forgettable wrong number mistake. i then search for further info on facebook, myspace etc etc.Then i find your address by using 192 or bt against your number and area search with surname . then i know where there is a tortoise left unprotected in the garden and if stealing to order i can make some relatively easy cash.

yes the above is a long drawn out example. But you have to remeber how easy it is to link people via the internet. some information is of no use. but the more you put on the net the more there is to link you to other info which could be used. Not only that but if you take a picture of someone with number plates you could be incriminating somebody as the pic with number plate makes them identifiable. IE the recent example of jezza clarkson being spotted on the phone.

[billy.batson]

Thanks for views, folks! Not entirely convinced though. One thing is certain, I will steer clear of tortoises, rare or otherwise.

[humph]

There are a number of reasons why people hide their number plates. Generally I try and blank mine out for the security of my car, as there have been a lot of cases of cloning reported recently. I also have a private plate, and plate theft is on the up. Not forgetting the car/tortoise theft issue raised above. From my point of view blanking the plate is damage limitation as you can't stop people taking pictures at runs and events, then posting them up unedited.

Then you have the more general stuff. Anyone who listens to the news will have heard several warnings recently about being cautious about posting private/personal info on the net. Trade unions and recruitment agencies warning that employers are using searches of forums, and facebook type pages as part of their shortlisting of candidates for jobs. Some people post their whole lives on the pages of forums when chatting with friends but forget it is all in public view. Imagine what a house breaker or car thief could do if you post stuff like "Here's a picture of my brand new £30k MCS outside our house, how do you like the new private plate?"....then a few days later, "Looking forward to my two week Jamaican holiday which starts tomorrow..." Easy pickings!!!

Then of course there is this

Quote:

A MAN was jailed at the Old Bailey yesterday for Britain's first web-rage attack on another internet user.
Paul Gibbons traced John Jones after they exchanged insults in a chatroom. He was armed with a pickaxe handle and was with a man with a machete.

Gibbons, 47, of south London, admitted he attacked Mr Jones, 43, in December 2005 after months of exchanging abuse with him via an internet chatroom dedicated to discussing Islam.

London's Central Criminal Court heard that Gibbons had "taken exception" to Mr Jones after he alleged that Gibbons had been "interfering with children".

After several more verbal and written exchanges, during which Mr Jones threatened to track down Gibbons and give him a severe beating, Gibbons and a friend went to his victim's house in Essex.

Mr Jones himself was armed with a knife, but Gibbons seized it from him, held it to his throat and "scratched" him across the neck, the court was told.

Gibbons, who, the court heard, had previous convictions for "violent offences", pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

He was jailed for two and a half years.

It's not about cars it's about protecting your identity. Post away, join in the community, but just be careful what private info you give out. I have seen addresses, phone numbers and even bank account numbers on forums before.

[neilobe]

Best to cover the number plate, or you might find someone cloning your car and it appearing on e bay for sale, by someone trying to scam it...

[MarkW]

theres the other major reason, Insurance companies will and do look at forums for details of mods and car use (shows, track days, illegal racing etc). I know of at least one majorly publicised instance where a guy whose car got destroyed by fire having his claim rejected because of alleged racing, evidence obtained by his insurers using websites and BB's. they had the wrong info/user and the incident wasn't contacted to anything than normal car use.

I try to blank the plates of any car I post a pic of just to be safe

[Arnbut]

I recently had a tortoise nipped thusly...

Identity theft is the fasted growing crime genre in the world. I believe that rare amphibian theft is close behind...

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ant FR (original)

put it like this Bill, Here it goes

You post a pic of your car, and on the same site you post some more details up like, you own a rare tortoise that you leave in your garden.

I do a search on your number plate on google, it brings up an ad you used to sell your car a few months back on ebay / pistonheads, that may then give me your home phone number. I then search again using the details i have picked up, on your address from the sale ads, i then do a polite call to your number, and ascertain your full name by a forgettable wrong number mistake. i then search for further info on facebook, myspace etc etc.Then i find your address by using 192 or bt against your number and area search with surname . then i know where there is a tortoise left unprotected in the garden and if stealing to order i can make some relatively easy cash.

yes the above is a long drawn out example. But you have to remeber how easy it is to link people via the internet. some information is of no use. but the more you put on the net the more there is to link you to other info which could be used. Not only that but if you take a picture of someone with number plates you could be incriminating somebody as the pic with number plate makes them identifiable. IE the recent example of jezza clarkson being spotted on the phone.

Excuse me... I need to go and arrange a protection detail for my Big-Brained African Spiny Pole-vaulting Tortoise named Igor who walks with an artificial limp in order to lure cabbages into a false sense of security before vaulting over garden fences to devour them.

Also... I must eliminate any online information that would lead Old Mrs. Muggins to the true culprit behind the disappearance of her vegetable patches...

I'll try to be back soon.

All the best,
Andrew.

PS
Actually, that is a really good point. It makes me wonder what the heck I have posted online - I can't remember anymore!