High-Tech Thieves Use 3D Printers To Clone License Plates For Criminal Acts In Australia

A new risk for Australia’s motorists has been identified by local police and more than a few frustrated car owners. Criminals are using 3D printers to make copies of real license plates and using them to conceal their identities while committing crimes.

Australia’s ABC News reports that victims of this form of identity theft are coming forward, only realizing that their plates have been copied after receiving tickets, fines, and sometimes being confronted by police.

Braden Rawlinson, a resident of the state of Victoria, said that he posted photos of his grandmother’s Holden Cruze online while attempting to help her sell it. He, unfortunately, didn’t think to blur out the license plate.

Read: Researchers Hacked California’s Digital License Plates, Revealing Sensitive User Info

A month later, police came knocking on his door, saying that the car had been involved in a hit-and-run, a burglary, and gas theft. He said they then accused him of being behind the crimes, because the car had been in his possession.

Fortunately, he could prove that he had been on holiday while the crimes were committed and had security camera footage proving that the car had been at home at that same time, giving him an airtight alibi. It was only then that police realized that the plate must have been copied.

Posting photos of a car online isn’t the only way to give criminals access to it, though. Another victim of this type of crime in Brisbane told ABC News that she figured criminals must have taken a photo of her VW Polo’s plate while it was parked on the street.

“They must trawl around looking for cars identical to theirs,” she said. “I had never heard of it and was surprised someone would do that.”

In her case, someone had racked up more than $5,000 AUD ($3,446 USD at current exchange rates) in speeding tickets with her plates. She said that, after seeing the plates, there were no clear signs that it was counterfeit. And that means that there’s very little Australian drivers can do to protect themselves.

“If you’re uploading photos or videos of your vehicle online, make sure you blur or block out the number plate,” said Andrew Kirk, principal technical researcher for the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland. “It’s also a good idea to park in a garage or secure parking facility whenever possible; parking on the street or in your driveway gives criminals easier access to steal or photograph your registration plates.”

While those best practices might help, police admit that people who want to copy your license plate could also simply hang out in a grocery store parking lot or other public space. Fortunately, owners of the most recent license plates in the state of Queensland may benefit from a little more protection.

Since 2020, plates in the state have “directional marks to assist with the detection of fake number plates,” a spokesperson for the state’s transport department said. These can only be seen from certain angles, making the plates harder to recreate.

Similarly, Victoria has announced that it will make license plates with holograms incorporated into them. Also hard to recreate perfectly, they should help make it easier to spot counterfeits, but no other states have committed to similar measures.