Vehicles with counterfeit MOT certificates and tampered-with tax disks have been discovered by police in Cleveland.
The police are urging buyers to be cautious after vehicles were found with what are believed to be photocopied MOT certificates and tax disks that have had their dates changed.
While the vehicles were found in the Stockton and Durham districts, police fear the fraudulent documents may have been circulated much further afield.
A 38-year-old man from the Middlesbrough area was arrested on suspicion of forging documents with intent to deceive, and later bailed pending further enquiries.
Buyers need to be vigilant since driving a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate or road tax could invalidate their car insurance .
PC Lee Benson of Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit said: "We want to make people aware of the ongoing scam and to make them wary that when buying cars, especially old cars, they need to be vigilant and check the documents thoroughly.
"By going to the direct.gov.uk website, and using the digits on the MOT certificate, you are able to check that the certificate is genuine."
Copyright Press Association 2012
