A car towing scheme run by a New York City man came undone thanks to an overlooked detail: vehicle identification numbers. The unique codes stamped on cars proved to be the undoing of what might otherwise have been a tidy operation.
Criminals often trip themselves up on details they fail to consider, and this case is no exception. VINs serve as a built-in safeguard that helps authorities trace vehicles, making them a persistent obstacle for those attempting to profit from stolen or misappropriated cars.