Identity Theft: Is Your Plate Number Actually Yours?

We think of identity theft as something that happens with credit cards or bank accounts. But in Lagos, the most common form of identity theft happens on your bumper.

Your Plate Number is the fingerprint of your car.

It is issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency and tied to your specific chassis number in the National Vehicle Identification System or NVIS.

The Cloning Scam

Here is how the scam works.

You pay an agent for a new plate number. He gives you a shiny new plate that says LND-123-AB. It looks real. It has the Lagos hologram. You screw it onto your car and drive happily.

But that agent did not register it. He simply stamped a piece of metal.

Or worse, he registered that number to another car three years ago.

You are now driving a "Cloned" plate. Two cars in Lagos have the same number.

The Police Check

This December, the police are using the NVIS database. When they stop you, they punch your plate number into their device.

If the device brings up a 2010 Honda Accord and you are driving a 2015 Mercedes-Benz, you are in trouble.

You will be arrested for fraud. The officers will assume you stole the car or swapped the plates to hide a crime. Explaining that "the agent gave it to me" will not save you from a weekend in the cell.

Verify Your Identity

You must verify your plate number. You need to be 100% sure that the government database links that number to your name and your specific car model.

This is part of the Rabbar Audit.

When you use our Remote Rider service, we do not just renew your papers. We verify your identity. We check the NVIS database to ensure your plate number is unique to you.

If we find an error or a mismatch, we help you rectify it immediately before the police find it for you.

Your car has a name tag. Make sure it is spelling your name correctly.