CARFAX Canada:
Helping Curb Auto Fraud

CARFAX Canada has been dedicated to combating vehicle fraud and enhancing transparency in the used vehicle market for the past 25 years.

By collaborating with the automotive industry, law enforcement, and government, we continually expand our database and develop new tools to help Canadians stay one step ahead of VIN fraud and auto theft.

The data we have access to puts us in a unique position to help Canadians detect potentially fraudulent activity in a vehicle’s history.

Impacts of Vehicle Fraud

Vehicle fraud occurs when the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of a car is manipulated to disguise its true identity, which typically suggests that the vehicle has been stolen.

If you were to become a victim of VIN fraud, you could experience:

Vehicle seizure
Legal issues
Insurance denial
Difficulty reselling the vehicle
Potential safety risks

Learn more about VIN fraud.

CARFAX Canada estimates that there are over 372,000 potentially cloned VINs in Canada.¹

During 2024, approximately 69,000 vehicles were reported as stolen in Canada.²

How to Stay Ahead of Vehicle Fraud

CARFAX Canada has a number of tools and resources aimed at helping educate Canadians about VIN fraud and detect potentially fraudulent activity early.

Vehicle Monitoring

CARFAX Canada Vehicle Monitoring subscribers receive a VIN Fraud Check and a refreshed Vehicle History Report every month. These monthly updates can help vehicle owners identify potentially critical issues, and stay up to date on their cars' data.

Learn how Vehicle Monitoring can help detect fraud, recalls, and more.

VIN Fraud Check

CARFAX Canada VIN Fraud Check is a tool designed to help vehicle dealers identify potentially fraudulent activity such as VIN fraud or stolen vehicles in North America. This feature is available to dealers who use the CARFAX Canada dealer portal for Vehicle History Reports, at no extra cost.

If you’re a CARFAX Canada dealer member, you can learn more here

Vehicle History Report

A CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report (VHR) is a crucial tool for helping Canadians to detect potential VIN fraud because it provides comprehensive background information on a vehicle including open recalls, service records, accidents or damage, and if the vehicle is reported as stolen. CARFAX Canada has access to billions of data records from thousands of trusted sources.

Records included in each CARFAX Vehicle History Report can reveal inconsistencies in the vehicle's history that could indicate potential fraud.

Learn more about how to spot potential fraud on a VHR.

¹ CARFAX Canada, 2025