According to a study, almost a fifth of cars tested were found to have fake NCTs. The survey by MyVehicle.ie showed that 19.8% of cars examined had invalid NCTs. The Irish Mirror reported that forged documents can be bought for as little as €50.
An interview carried out by the newspaper reported that the certificates could be used for cars that aren’t even roadworthy. An anonymous forger of such counterfeit documents had this to say:
“I normally supply people trying to sell their car and the NCT cert helps them do that. If they crash the car, they should remove the fake NCT from the window. Most people see the NCT cert as meaning that the car is mechanically fine and once it has a decent expiry date, they normally accept this. We can put whatever expiry date and mileage is asked for. The NCT certificate number is obviously made up also. I normally sell on demand, so it’s hard to put a number on it but I usually sell several a week. It’s easy enough to get these fake NCTs, so I guess there are quite a few people doing it now.”
MyVehicle.ie is warning anyone looking to buy a second hand car to be extra vigilant and to carry out a car history report. Holding a counterfeit NCT can carry five penalty points, a fine of up to €2,000 and even a three month jail sentence.
Justin Kavanagh, Managing Director of MyVehicle.ie said: “It’s extremely worrying just how easy it now is to obtain a fake NCT certificate in Ireland. Of even greater concern is that the individuals who are purchasing vehicles with these fake NCTs are putting way too much trust in them. They are expecting a vehicle to be mechanically sound because it has apparently passed the National Car Test and are trusting the mileage reading that is printed on the certificate, which in my opinion is not wise. By simply purchasing a vehicle history check, you will be provided with the genuine NCT Expiry Date, history, Certificate Number verification and also previous mileage readings if available.”