Thieves target licenses and registration

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Crooks smashed windows and broke into nearly a dozen of cars at a Northeast Heights apartment complex.

Victims believe thieves weren't looking for the usual loot like stereos or wallets.  Instead they swiped people's insurance cards and vehicle registrations.

It happened at the Montero apartments near Louisiana and Montgomery boulevards. Police reported 11 cars had their windows smashed, and residents woke up to quite the mess.

"Things are hard with everybody, and this is a cost I cannot afford," said Philomena Lopez whose truck windows were broken out.

What really worries her and the other victims is what the thieves stole.

"You never really know the impact of this kind of crime," said another victim, Lawrence C De Baca. "When they're taking just paperwork, that appears to be fraud."

C De Baca said he had valuable tools and electronics in his vandalized truck, but they crooks passed right over them. Instead they took the items that had the vehicle identification number to his truck and personal information.

"If they have the actual registration, and they have the insurance card that matches to that VIN number, they can use this on a bill of sale where we have those VIN numbers," said Demesia Padilla, state Tax and Revenue Department cabinet secretary.  "We would just have a snowball of problems."

Thieves could then register stolen cars to a different person's VIN number and pass off the stolen insurance cards as their own, she added.

Padilla said it's very important victims report stolen items to police and the Motor Vehicle Division. This way the information can be flagged as stolen to help catch anyone who might try to abuse it.

It's also important to report to your insurance company when an insurance card is lifted, she continued. The company, just like with credit card thefts, will have to cancel the policy number and issue a new one.  

The Attorney General's Office also has a program in cooperation with the MVD called the Passport Program. It flags victims' driver's licenses if personal information has been tampered with in any way, making it harder for crooks to steal identities.

To participate, take the police report of what has been stolen to the MVD, and report what happened.