Sole traders who drive vehicles such as the Ford Transit are being warned about the high-risk of them being cloned by criminal gangs, something which could have an impact on the cost of van insurance.

Research from HPI, which checks the history of automobiles, found the popular Ford van to be the second most cloned vehicle in the UK and the company is urging consumers shopping for a new one to be cautious before purchasing.

According to the firm, criminals steal the identity from a vehicle and replace the registration plates and vehicle identification number on theirs which is of an identical make, model and colour, meaning it appears genuine.

Nick Lindsay, director of HPI, said there are individuals and gangs ready to take advantage of any opportunity to make money from vehicle crime.

"Criminals are opportunists and will exploit any weakness, whether it's in a vehicle's security system or its identity," he stated.

Should the Ford Transit continue to be a popular choice for cloning gangs, it could have an impact on van insurance costs as it may have a higher chance of attracting thieves and fraudsters.

HPI claims to have been checking the identity of vehicles since 1938.

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