How Does VIN Cloning Work?
The process of cloning VINs typically involves a few steps. Here's what you need to know about how those VIN thieves do their thing.
Identifying the Target Vehicle
Criminals begin to select a legally registered car that fits their year, make, and model criteria. The “targeted” vehicle usually serves as the identity that later will be copied into their vehicle, which has many problems to mask.
Cloning the VIN
Once they have found their targeted car, the thieves proceed to put the VIN from a non-troubled car into their problematic car. This process often includes forging VIN plates, tampering with dashboards, and creating fake ownership documents to match.
Faking Ownership Documents
Before the thieves put their vehicle on sale, they will need to fake the ownership documents to ensure that the vehicle seems legit by forging titles, registrations, and even inspection certificates. These fake documents help pass the car off as legally owned and properly maintained.
Sell the Vehicle
After the thieves have successfully cloned the vehicle and faked the documents, the car is now ready to be put on sale on marketplaces or by private sellers.
To avoid a car's VIN being swapped, don't share the car registration or the VIN with other parties unless you know them personally and their intention is good. 
Gracia Anindita
