SECOND-hand car buyers are being scammed by stolen and cloned vehicles.

Police have issued a warning to motorists in Lancashire after six reports in recent weeks.

The cars have been advertised for sale on the internet.

And the first link in the cloning chain is the theft of newer cars after burglaries to steal the car keys, police said.

The modern cars are difficult to steal so thieves look for keys left on show in houses and typically use a hook or cane to retrieve them through an unlocked window, letterbox or catflap.

Once stolen the vehicle is given fake numbers from cars that are the same make and model, so a buyer using the registration to check up on the car is falsely reassured.

But when the innocent purchaser tries to register the car they are likely to discover the vehicle is stolen - and be left without a car and thousands of pounds.

Detective Sergeant Simon Ingham, from the Organised Vehicle Crime Team said: “This type of criminality has a huge impact on the victims who are targeted as they are often left thousands of pounds out of pocket, with no way of getting their money back.

“We would send a strong warning to people who think they can get away with cloning cars and selling them on to innocent people: you will be targeted and you will be caught and brought to justice.”

DS Ingham said people should exercise ‘great caution’ when buying second hand cars from private sales.

He added: “We are currently working very closely with organisations such as Auto Trader in order to eradicate this type of crime.

“My advice would be to avoid paying cash where possible, otherwise ask for and record some form of credible identification from the seller and never meet in a car park or similar type of venue in order to complete the purchase of a car.

“If purchasers are taken to a private address make sure the seller actually lives there.

"A genuine seller shouldn’t object to this type of checking particularly if they want to achieve a sale.

"If in doubt, walk away and inform the police or contact Crimestoppers.

"Never buy a car without a log book."