While that sounds like good news, a leading insurance provider is warning consumers about fraud 鈥� specifically the practice of “re-vinning” 鈥� that’s driving up insurance costs and threatening to leave unwitting car buyers out thousands of dollars when purchasing a used vehicle.

Jamie Lee, Head of Aviva Canada鈥檚 fraud and financial crime division, said the company has encountered a 76 per cent increase in fraud over the past 12 months.

Lee points to re-vinning as the most common fraud scheme impacting consumers in the used vehicle market.

With from U.S. President Donald Trump that could drive up the cost of new and used vehicles, Lee said consumers should know how to spot a re-vinned vehicle to avoid unknowingly purchasing a stolen auto.

What is re-vinning?

Re-vinning occurs when a criminal creates a false vehicle identification number (VIN) or duplicates a VIN from another vehicle to sell a stolen vehicle, Lee noted.

Lee said investigators have witnessed a more than 300 per cent increase in re-vinning across Ontario, particularly in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas, since 2022.

Criminals will typically duplicate a VIN of a legally-registered vehicle to make a stolen auto appear as a legitimate resale vehicle.

While most re-vinned vehicles are traded through online platforms like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, Lee said Aviva is aware of a recent case where a stolen, re-vinned vehicle was sold at a Hamilton-area dealership.

鈥淎 check was done after the vehicle was purchased and it was found there was a vehicle with the same VIN in the U.S.,鈥� Lee explained. 鈥淭he vehicle that the customer had purchased in the Hamilton area was actually a stolen vehicle.鈥�

While it鈥檚 rare for a customer to find a re-vinned vehicle at a licensed dealership, purchasers who unknowingly buy a stolen vehicle can lose thousands of dollars when the vehicle is seized by law enforcement.

Tips for consumers

Aviva offers the following tips to help consumers avoid purchasing a re-vinned vehicle.

• If you鈥檙e buying online, verify the seller鈥檚 identity and make sure they own the vehicle they are offering for sale.
• If you鈥檙e buying through a dealership or online, research the market rate for the vehicle and beware of anything listed well below its fair market price.

鈥淚f it feels too good to be true, it probably is,鈥� Lee said.

You can also request a used vehicle information package from the provincial to confirm the legitimacy of your purchase.

Lee recommends , a comprehensive vehicle history report that can provide information on a used vehicle before you purchase it. The report can also help would-be purchasers spot potential re-vinning.

If you see the colour of the vehicle shown on the Carfax report is different from the one you鈥檙e purchasing, for example, it could be an indication it鈥檚 not the same vehicle.

Trump鈥檚 tariffs could increase re-vinning

With potential tariffs on the North American auto industry pushing up prices of new vehicles, Lee said demand for used vehicles in Ontario could increase.

鈥淭his is a lucrative market,鈥� Lee noted. 鈥淲hen buyers are looking for affordable options they may end up with a stolen vehicle that鈥檚 passed off as a legitimate vehicle online.鈥�

Efforts to fight re-vinning

Lee said Aviva has been working closely with the provincial Ministry of Transportation to improve the vehicle registration process. She also points to opportunities to strengthen the process between provinces.

Some vehicles may be stolen in one province and re-vinned in another, for example, before being passed off as legitimate resale automobiles.

Lee added Aviva is calling for harsher criminal penalties for those convicted in re-vinning fraud schemes, as well as more stringent VIN verification before vehicles are sold online.