25 Apr , 17:27
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A Briton accidentally bought back his own stolen car at a dealership, reports TUT.AZ citing Daily Star.
The amazing story happened to 36-year-old Evan Valentine from Solihull, whose Honda Civic R was stolen in February 2025. After several weeks of futile attempts to resolve the issue through the insurance company and police, the man went looking for a new car. In one of the dealerships, his attention was drawn to a vehicle strikingly similar to the lost one: the same model, color, modification, and even non-standard exhaust system. The only difference was a different license plate.
During the inspection in the garage, Valentine didn't suspect anything unusual. Later, he admitted that his desire to quickly acquire a replacement dulled his vigilance. After paying 20 thousand pounds sterling, the Briton became the owner of the car, but on the way home he began to notice strange coincidences: in the trunk, he found his own tent peg and artificial Christmas trees, and the interior retained the characteristic smell of beer that he had spilled a year ago.
The final suspicions were confirmed by the satellite navigation history, which preserved the addresses of his home, parents, and frequently visited places. Moreover, Valentine's phone automatically connected to the car system without the need for reconfiguration.
Police officers who arrived at the scene discovered traces of VIN number forgery. The decisive evidence came when the original key from Evan's keychain perfectly fit the lock. Subsequent computer diagnostics revealed the real identification number, matching the stolen Honda.
During the investigation, other suspicious circumstances came to light: the car was accompanied by fake invoices from a non-existent auto service with fictitious employee names. The police are now continuing to search for the criminals who organized this fraudulent scheme.
"It was a strange mix of emotions - from shock to relief that the car returned," shared the Briton.
