Researchers hack cars' computers

[billy]

Often they just move the VIN tags from the smashed vehicle over to the stolen one.

yep and the engine would corroborate. now though the car companies are more wiser. they drop microdots of paint about the car that will stay their for life. under a microscope they have a serial number. the nasty thing is they can't be spotted. i think it was an idea by ford.

the above becomes irrelevant once the car leaves the country though because often they end up in russia and some of the asian countries where the scanners arent available