Why do people black out their license plates in pictures?

[ShadowsPapa]

Things get stolen, chopped, whatever, due to locals, not someone lurking on the web. Crimes of opportunity, almost always someone within driving distance but not too close.
If a vehicle is a target, it's a target anyway, regardless of who on the web sees a plate.
If I am going to steal something, I'll cruise the local parking lots with my phone and take pics or video. I'll find something I like and go from there. I won't waste time looking for plates on the web and then try to figure out where they are. I can gather info on thousands more vehicles in a fraction of the time with my phone.
Crooks go for the most bang for their time. How much can I get in the least time or with the least amount of work.. There are hundreds of vehicles of all types at mall parking lots - if you like higher end stuff, go to the mall out west, if you just want spare change or stereo equipment not well protected, hit the walmart parking lot. Pick what you want and either get it there or follow the person home or get the info right there in the parking lot and do your deed later that night.

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[MrZappo]

Things get stolen, chopped, whatever, due to locals, not someone lurking on the web. Crimes of opportunity, almost always someone within driving distance but not too close.
If a vehicle is a target, it's a target anyway, regardless of who on the web sees a plate.
If I am going to steal something, I'll cruise the local parking lots with my phone and take pics or video. I'll find something I like and go from there. I won't waste time looking for plates on the web and then try to figure out where they are. I can gather info on thousands more vehicles in a fraction of the time with my phone.
Crooks go for the most bang for their time. How much can I get in the least time or with the least amount of work.. There are hundreds of vehicles of all types at mall parking lots - if you like higher end stuff, go to the mall out west, if you just want spare change or stereo equipment not well protected, hit the walmart parking lot. Pick what you want and either get it there or follow the person home or get the info right there in the parking lot and do your deed later that night.

@ShadowsPapa, are you trying to tell us something?

 

[Dryfly24]

Things get stolen, chopped, whatever, due to locals, not someone lurking on the web. Crimes of opportunity, almost always someone within driving distance but not too close.
If a vehicle is a target, it's a target anyway, regardless of who on the web sees a plate.
If I am going to steal something, I'll cruise the local parking lots with my phone and take pics or video. I'll find something I like and go from there. I won't waste time looking for plates on the web and then try to figure out where they are. I can gather info on thousands more vehicles in a fraction of the time with my phone.
Crooks go for the most bang for their time. How much can I get in the least time or with the least amount of work.. There are hundreds of vehicles of all types at mall parking lots - if you like higher end stuff, go to the mall out west, if you just want spare change or stereo equipment not well protected, hit the walmart parking lot. Pick what you want and either get it there or follow the person home or get the info right there in the parking lot and do your deed later that night.

Ok, now we know why everybody on this particular site is blacking out their plates… ?

 

[punk'n]

Something tells me I messed this up.........

So, is that blacked out vehicle a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the VIN ending in 3987 ?

 

[Dqban]

I typed my license plate in Google and it did indeed provide some links with my name attached to it. There may not be official services available for pulling this information but the Internet makes everything searchable.

 

[atxatxatx]

I typed my license plate in Google and it did indeed provide some links with my name attached to it. There may not be official services available for pulling this information but the Internet makes everything searchable.

It's state dependent, some states make it easier to get license plate information with their dmv structure.

As an example with texas plates and a website such as verispy you can get the owner information home address etc, but using the same website you would not get the same information of a california plate. Typically only officially approved agencies can search for this information, but like anything backdoors exist, and some websites can access this info.

Of course driving on public roads your license plate is on display to everyone, for online I don't have a problem with people blacking out their plates - a digital trail will exist for years.
People on this forum are good honest people, but that's not the case on other places online.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

So, is that blacked out vehicle a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the VIN ending in 3987 ?

You can use VINCHECK for most states,
and for WI you can go to
https://wisconsindot.gov/pages/online-srvcs/other-servs/plate-search.aspx

This is how carfax and other businesses get their info - and how when you are trying to search for values, you can simply enter your license plate number and they get the VIN and can tell how the vehicle is equipped.
Go search KBB and they'll let you put in your plate number and tell you all about your vehicle - because they access the VIN that way.

But that's pretty much it - can't do squat with the VIN - in most cases/states.

But then all of that info can be obtained by taking your phone through a parking lot and getting video of plates and vin plates on the dash - and pics of the drivers, perhaps even capture the owners lock codes on Fords and such as people unlock their vehicles.

 

[jeepstertim]

In the UK it's not particularly to protect against identifying the vehicle, physical theft or identifying the owner. It's cloning. We have an issue with a certain type of person/ people (with similar models and colour) using another vehicle's identity and therefore not paying insurance, road tax or penalties for traffic violations.

Should a cloned vehicle be used for criminal purpose, some innocent gets a rap (or worse) on the door from Her Majesty's Constabulary.

 

[Jefe1018]

I’m dyslexic and was really confused for a second with the thread’s title for a hot second.

Also, I don’t get it either.

 

[Dryfly24]

I’m dyslexic and was really confused for a second with the thread’s title for a hot second.

Also, I don’t get it either.

I know what you mean. I’m not dyslexic that I know of but I keep doing it too… ?

 

[SwampNut]

Because people are dumb.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...lates-dont-seem-to-worry-so-why-do-you.50915/

 

[dsjr70]

I always use to wonder this because in my State it used to be very hard to get information. However some States you enter a tag number you get a huge amount of information including Owner name and address. Also, overseas ( not sure how worldwide this site is ) it seems gives you everything including your kids hair color.

 

[Caspien]

Echoing what others have stated, License plate numbers CAN be used to look up info on people, in some states.

In my experience, SearchQuarry often produces a LOT of info, you wouldn't think was available, but it IS behind a paywall.

Vincheck.info has a License Plate lookup too, with quite a bit available to the public.. but it also has more restrictive pay walls, too.

In both cases, however, much of their info can be found online in other places too, if you want to take the time to go down the rabbit hole.


~ Casp

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It sort of comes down to - how desperate is the person looking at plate numbers and - what can they do with the information?
It's a lot easier to get the same information in other ways, IMO. Thieves are normally lazy, it's usually a crime of opportunity, something quick.
I'm not going to spend a ton of time and drive to another state or even across this state to do - what? What that I couldn't otherwise do.
People aren't thinking like crooks here - they are doing a lot of "what if" but stuff that's not practical or really useful.
So I can get a VIN using a plate, even where the vehicle was purchased from - so? What can I do with that? And how is that info different from me driving through a parking lot, taking photos of hundreds of vehicles and walking by all of them with my phone in video mode aimed at the lower left corner of windshields.
Bingo - hundreds of plate numbers, dozens of matching VINs in very short order, no search info left on my computer or through my ISP, and all or most of the cars will be local!

 

[mopar 1957]

Something tells me I messed this up.........

I know where you hide now LOL

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