The number of stolen vehicles has dropped so far this year, but Calgary police are seeing an increase in the number of fake Vehicle Identification Numbers used to resell cars.

Detective Curtis McMurphy tells The Calgary Sun there’s a current trend called “insurance give-ups” where a person reports the car stolen only after giving it to someone they know to re-VIN.

About 3,300 vehicles were reported stolen last year; 60 of which were fitted with fake VIN numbers for resale and sold in other provinces or shipped overseas.

McMurphy says anyone looking to buy a car, especially in a private sale with someone they don’t know, should to do a little homework getting as much information as they can.