KibOrg hackers breached the database of the Russian Union of Auto Insurers, obtaining more than 1.5 TB of personal information, including data on Kremlin propagandists and their cars.
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We cover methods of checking cars for impoundment, VIN code lookups and other OSINT methods to check the history of the car and the reliability of the seller. The use of paid and free services for obtaining information about the condition and legal purity of the vehicle is described.
OSINT for car enthusiasts means collecting and analyzing information available on the Internet about a car and its seller using legal methods. This is especially useful for buyers in the secondary market, because it allows you to get a complete picture of the technical condition, ownership history and legal purity of the car. Thanks to this, you can buy a car that meets your expectations and the seller’s description.
The service for searching advanced information about cars is useful in many areas. For example:
Volunteers and military: Need confidence in the reliability of cars for military tasks. OSINT helps to check the technical condition and history of the vehicle, in particular for the presence of damage or involvement in an accident. For vehicles used by the Armed Forces, inspection is a vital necessity.
Individuals: Used car buyers can avoid problems with unscrupulous sellers and hidden defects, especially new drivers who don’t know how to check a car by VIN code and ensure a clean ownership history.
Car dealers: Use OSINT to check cars for health and legality to avoid selling problem cars and maintain an honest reputation.
Insurance companies: OSINT studies help assess risks before insuring a vehicle, determine a fair insurance premium and avoid fraud. Checking the machine number can be difficult without OSINT tools.
Banks: Check car information before issuing a car loan to ensure there are no legal encumbrances and to ensure adequate credit security.
Car sharing companies: Use OSINT to check the status of cars for rent, car sharing or leasing to ensure the safety and legal transparency of the service. Technical inspection and inspection of cars by numbers is a stable necessity for such services.
These OSINT techniques help to conduct a multi-step inspection of vehicles, which reduces the risks of acquiring or using problematic vehicles in various areas.
Depending on the budget and the country of search, there are several ways to check the VIN code. But, first of all, you need to know that the VIN code is a unique identifier developed separately for each specific car. It consists of 17 characters and contains information about the manufacturer, model, year of manufacture, specifications and other details. You can find the VIN in the following ways:
Usually, the code is indicated in the technical passport of the vehicle.
Look at the plate on the edge of the beam under the hood. If you are standing in front of the car, it is on the outside of the hood, usually on the left.
In some vehicles, the VIN is displayed on the dashboard, usually near the windshield on the driver’s side.
You can also find the VIN on a plate inside the driver’s or passenger’s door.
Use online vin code checking services such as Carfax or national equivalents of this type of database. This will help you learn about previous owners, accidents, repairs, mileage and other important details. For example, Carfax can provide hidden information about the change of ownership of the car, the history of breakdowns and accidents, whether the car was stolen, whether the car was used for taxi or rental, etc. this method of checking a car by VIN code is not free, but it is suitable for a detailed analysis of the condition of the vehicle, especially if it is imported from abroad.
The easiest way to conduct such research is to use the web portal of open data “Diya” in the unified state register. If the car is added to the database, try to get a statement by entering the VIN code through the application.
Another method of investigation is to search for information on the website of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The algorithm of actions on how to check a car by code is as follows:
Go to the driver’s electronic account on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If you don’t have it, you need to create it for further OSINT research.
If you have correctly registered and entered your contact details, the Service window will open automatically. Select the “vehicle inspection” service and enter information about your vehicle.
If you entered the information correctly, you will receive a report with a detailed description of the car’s parameters. For example, any brand of car, engine, etc. it’s also a way to check a car by its code, for free or for an extra fee to get advanced data.
If all you have is the license plate number, you can still do some research with OSINT. Here are some guidelines to help you get the most information about your vehicle registration number:
Many countries offer online services and applications for checking vehicles by registration number, and Ukraine is no exception. These services provide information about the make, model, year of manufacture, technical characteristics, availability of insurance and the results of the last technical inspection. In Ukraine, the Auto.RIA service helps to check cars by license plates.
There are also mobile applications, such as “Checking a car in the MIA database”, which quickly provide information about a car by registration number. Using manual OSINT methods, such as social media searches, can help find additional information about the car, such as old ads on OLX.
In Ukraine, you can check the car for arrests through the Unified State Register of Encumbrances of Movable Property. However, keep in mind that this requires knowing the vehicle’s VIN or registration number. The sequence of actions is as follows:
Register on the site and get access to the database.
Enter the VIN code or vehicle registration number and get information about the presence of arrests.
If this method does not work, it makes sense to contact a lawyer. Specialists will have access to additional legal databases and resources to help check the car for arrests and other impediments.
To check in Ukraine, you can use the Unified State Register of Movable Property Encumbrances. Access to this information may be available through a web portal or through a branch of the State Inspection.
Are you worried about Instagram Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., or are you preparing a deal with someone you can trust? Use the OSINT method to find out the identity of the former owner of the car. The following methods may be useful:
Try to find information about the previous owner on social networks Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. try to find information about the previous owner through social media. If you know this, you can use the name of the owner or the registration number of the car to search Perhaps this person has previously engaged in online fraud or spread anti-Ukrainian material on the Internet.
Check out the platforms where you can post your car ads, such as OLX and Auto.RIA in Ukraine. The ad may contain contact details and additional information about the owner.
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