Odometer fraud is based in greed. The odometer is the device that records how many miles a car has been driven. The lower the number of miles on the odometer, the greater the value of the used car – and the higher the price the dealership can charge. In fact, taking ten, twenty, or thirty thousand miles off the odometer reading can increase the value of a used car by several thousand dollars.

Odometer fraud has been around for some time. Back in the days of mechanical odometers, unscrupulous seller would take small wires – not unlike lock picks – and reach up under the dash to physically roll the odometer numbers back. However, this was fairly easy for a potential buyer to spot because the numbers wouldn’t end up perfectly aligned, or they’d become loose and a quick strike to the dash would cause the numbers to jiggle.

When the new digital odometers were introduced, odometer fraud was supposed to become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, no one told this to the criminals. In very short order, devices for the legitimate resetting of an odometer – as in the case of odometer or dash replacement – were corrupted so that software packages could be used to reset digital odometers. Nowadays, it can be very hard to determine whether or not a digital odometer has been reset.

The best way to determine whether or not odometer fraud has been committed is to focus, not on the odometer, but on the car as a whole. Look at the amount of wear and tear on the car, on the brake and gas pedals for example. If the wear and tear on the car doesn’t seem consistent with the mileage on the odometer, you may be right to suspect odometer fraud. Check under the hood, and look for dirt and grime on the motor mounts and other areas that can be hard to clean. If you find more dirt and grime than seems consistent with the mileage on the odometer, you may be looking at a case of odometer fraud.

You should also ask to see the maintenance records of any used car you’re thinking about buying. Mileage is recorded any time a car is serviced or repaired, and an unwillingness or inability to provide these records could indicate odometer issues. You can also ask to see the title of the car. If the mileage figure appears smudged or is hard to read, you again may have cause for suspicion. When buying any used car, running a title search using a commercial vendor can be well worth the money, especially if you notice any reluctance or hesitation on the part of the seller to provide you with the VIN information you need.

If you suspect odometer fraud before a purchase, walk away. Sometimes, however, you may not be lucky enough to discover odometer fraud before you make the purchase. You may purchase what you believe is a low mileage car and then experience a number of mechanical problems that would indicate a car of higher mileage. This can easily become quite expensive.

Fortunately, if you suspect odometer fraud – whether or not you’ve purchased the car – you do have some recourse, as odometer fraud is a felony punishable by federal law. T he federal Office of Odometer Fraud Investigations has four regional offices. If you suspect odometer fraud, contact your local regional office, and they’ll investigate the situation and take appropriate action if warranted.

As with any purchase of a used car, it’s up to the buyer to take the necessary precautions to prevent being taken advantage of. Fortunately, when it comes to odometer fraud, you have help.