# Why Mask out Number Plates



## TriBorG

Hi I have seen people post pics of cars here and they swirl out the number plate 2 questions

1) Why do they do this ?
2) In photoshop what is the tool they are using to swirl out the number plate 

Thanks


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## steveo3002

people blank em out because a customer wouldnt like their details made public


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## beardboy

Answer to 1. To stop people taking their registration and using it on their cars. If this happens, you could end up with parking fines, or much worse.


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## Coxy914

steveo3002 said:


> people blank em out because a customer wouldnt like their details made public


I can understand that about a customers car, but I can't really understand why people do it on their own. I mean, when you drive yer car around, it's not like you can hide your number plate is it?!
People say it's to stop people cloning cars but if they want to get a number off a similar car then they can just look around yer nearest Asda car park. And number plate information is not exactly top secret and there are plenty of sites where you can obtain a cars information from a number plate anyway.
Personally, I don't get it, although if I wwas posting up a pic of a customers car then I would hide it's i.d. as a matter of courtesy as we believe in being discreet with all of our clients.


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## TriBorG

Ans to Question 2 Filter-Distort-Swirl )


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## hutchingsp

It depends on the car as well I think. Part of it is courtesy, but also don't underestimate how organized criminals are. 

I'm sure criminal gangs who wants to nick £100k cars are more than aware of sites like this (and Pistonheads etc.) and why bother getting out of your chair when you can simply visit somewhere like this and within half an hour you have your shopping list (with photo's and reg no's and even what the house looks like in some cases).


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## Coxy914

beardboy said:


> Answer to 1. To stop people taking their registration and using it on their cars. If this happens, you could end up with parking fines, or much worse.


don't get it??


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## Coxy914

hutchingsp said:


> It depends on the car as well I think. Part of it is courtesy, but also don't underestimate how organized criminals are.
> 
> I'm sure criminal gangs who wants to nick £100k cars are more than aware of sites like this (and Pistonheads etc.) and why bother getting out of your chair when you can simply visit somewhere like this and within half an hour you have your shopping list (with photo's and reg no's and even what the house looks like in some cases).


Nope, still don't get it!
So, a criminal see's a photo of a Ferrari parked on someones drive, but because the number plate is swirled out, he ain't gonna nick it!!!
That would be the last of his worries!


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## steveo3002

theres alot of wierdos on the internet...say if i posted my car pics and some moron decides not to like me, they could make up a set of plates and go around causing trouble 

its easier just to blank them out


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## Coxy914

steveo3002 said:


> theres alot of wierdos on the internet...say if i posted my car pics and some moron decides not to like me, they could make up a set of plates and go around causing trouble
> 
> its easier just to blank them out


Just on the internet??!!!!!

But if a wierdo followed you in the street, or had some road rage incident and took your number, then what are you going to do?


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## beardboy

Coxy914 said:


> don't get it??


If they get your number plate, have one made up the same, and put it on their own car (if its the same) then they could easily rack up loads of fines, or do anything they want, with the police thinking it's your car.


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## TriBorG

Hummmmm Looks like I have opend up a can of worms

BTW theere are so many good filter affects in Photoshop  

Ripple looks good as does twirl


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## gillywibble

Coxy914 said:


> Just on the internet??!!!!!
> 
> But if a wierdo followed you in the street, or had some road rage incident and took your number, then what are you going to do?


Yes, people on the street are civilised. It's only interet users who are devious criminals


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## Coxy914

beardboy said:


> If they get your number plate, have one made up the same, and put it on their own car (if its the same) then they could easily rack up loads of fines, or do anything they want, with the police thinking it's your car.


Yeah, I know that bit, but number plates are everywhere for people to see.
If I wanted to do that, I could walk outside and write down 20 numbers.
I could do into town and write down 500 numbers!
I could stand on the bridge up the road which goes over the M6 and write down about 10,000 numbers if I wanted.
My point is why bother masking them on a photo when you can't mask them in real life?????

If I was criminal enough to want to clone a number plate for a car and let someone else get all the speeing tickets, parking fines etc etc, then a swirled out number plate on a Car Forum website really ain't gonna put me off is it?


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## Coxy914

gillywibble said:


> Yes, people on the street are civilised. It's only interet users who are devious criminals


You say that yet you come from Coventry!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Ollie_247

see i have this problem my car is in fast ford every month and you can see my reg so i dont bother doing it on the net anymore


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## S-X-I

Another thing to consider Coxy is that the people from all over the country can get access to this site so you are right in saying that you could go out and write down someones registration but someone from the other end of the country on here could clone your plate. I guess in a way people just do it for a little bit of extra security. You get some very high end cars on here and i'm sure the owners dont want all their details know.


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## gillywibble

Coxy914 said:


> You say that yet you come from Coventry!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


And if I visited sunny Wolverhampton, I wouldn't even bother to lock it


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## Coxy914

S-X-I said:


> Another thing to consider Coxy is that the people from all over the country can get access to this site so you are right in saying that you could go out and write down someones registration but someone from the other end of the country on here could clone your plate. I guess in a way people just do it for a little bit of extra security. You get some very high end cars on here and i'm sure the owners dont want all their details know.


Cloning is more prevelant in normal run of the mill cars as opposed to high end cars.
It's not much extra in the way of security if they mask out the number plate of the car on a photo taken in a public place like outside a garage with the tel no/address on is it!! It would be better to mask out those details cos at least you have some way of hiding where the vehicle is!!

Personally, I have never understood it.


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## Coxy914

gillywibble said:


> And if I visited sunny Wolverhampton, I wouldn't even bother to lock it


why on earth would you want to visit Wolveeeeerampton!?!??!

But, yer rite, it's well sunny here at the moment!!:wave: :wave:


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## Avanti

Coxy914 said:


> don't get it??


You are in Wolverhampton so should know better ! 
Crime takes many guises , also some people are in a position to press a few buttons given the correct details and can obtain a host of personal information.
Why are you so keen to see the reg? 
It's just the bodywork condition we need to see here :thumb:


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## Coxy914

Avanti said:


> Why are you so keen to see the reg?


Becuase I'm from Wolverhampton and so obviously, I am a criminal!!!!


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## TriBorG

wow 3 Pages already 

BTW anyone know where I can get several sets of dodgy number plates made up ? :doublesho :doublesho :lol:


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## Avanti

Coxy914 said:


> Becuase I'm from Wolverhampton and so obviously, I am a criminal!!!!


heh heh, doesn't surprise me


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## Coxy914

TriBorG said:


> wow 3 Pages already
> 
> BTW anyone know where I can get several sets of dodgy number plates made up ? :doublesho :doublesho :lol:


2 places:

1 - Ebay
2 - Wolverhampton :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just to put peoples minds at rest, I only live in Wolverhampton, I wasn't brought up here!! I moved here to be closer to work! (Yes, people in Wolverhampton do have jobs!!).
In fact, I have a fairly respectable job as I'm a Managing Director of a large Automotive Transport Co. and I also run a Valeting/Detailing company called Elite Detail! :thumb: and am currently setting up a 3rd company for the purchasing and sale of Classic Audi's!

oh, and I don't have a criminal record, and I don't clone cars!


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## Avanti

Coxy914 said:


> 2 places:
> 
> 1 - Ebay
> 2 - Wolverhampton :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Just to put peoples minds at rest, I only live in Wolverhampton, I wasn't brought up here!! I moved here to be closer to work! (Yes, people in Wolverhampton do have jobs!!).
> In fact, I have a fairly respectable job as I'm a Managing Director of a large Automotive Transport Co. and I also run a Valeting/Detailing company called Elite Detail! :thumb: and am currently setting up a 3rd company for the purchasing and sale of Classic Audi's!
> 
> oh, and I don't have a criminal record, and I don't clone cars!


Nobody said you did, and nobody said that most people from Wolves is dodgy, you have a business as you say, and I am sure you do not leave the premise unlocked at the end of the day, as Tesco's say, every little helps :thumb:


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## Coxy914

Avanti said:


> Nobody said you did, and nobody said that most people from Wolves is dodgy,


It's "Most people from Wolves _*are *_dodgy"!!!!:thumb: :lol:


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## Avanti

Coxy914 said:


> It's "Most people from Wolves _*are *_dodgy"!!!!:thumb: :lol:


Not at all, in my earlier post reffering to 'you are from Wolverhampton so should know better' refers to whether dwelling or working there , the area seems to have more than it's fair share of crime


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## parish

Coxy914 said:


> there are plenty of sites where you can obtain a cars information from a number plate anyway.


Yes, but you need the reg. no. for that. If you were looking for a reg. no. for a black '02 BMW 320 you can't type the description in and get a list of reg. nos.

As for walking around Asda's car park, you would probably draw attention to yourself if you were writing down reg. nos.



Coxy914 said:


> Cloning is more prevelant in normal run of the mill cars as opposed to high end cars.
> It's not much extra in the way of security if they mask out the number plate of the car on a photo taken in a public place like outside a garage with the tel no/address on is it!! It would be better to mask out those details cos at least you have some way of hiding where the vehicle is!!
> 
> Personally, I have never understood it.


That is a valid point if you're talking about people wanting to steal the car itself, but if people are looking for a reg. no. on an identical car to theirs then DW, PH, etc. is an ideal place and anyone with half a brain who wanted false plates would look for an exact match - one that would pass a PNC check if Plod was following you along the road.

If you don't believe that people do this, then I can assure you they do. The last place I worked *two* of the Sales guys were victims of this.

The first kept getting fixed penalty speeding tickets through the post - actually, the company got them as it was a company car - for places he'd been nowhere near at the time. Eventually, the company got the Police to visit to sort it out. The officer said that this kind of thing was on the increase [due to the ever increasing reliance on automated systems - i.e. cameras] - this was about 6 years ago too - and accepted that the sales guy was a victim of someone using his reg. no. They said that the only way they could get it sorted was to instruct their patrols to stop a vehicle with his reg. no. every time they spotted it but that would inconvenience him. He was quite happy with that and within a week they'd caught the guy (if they stop a vehicle they can check the tax disc against the reg. no.).

The second bloke got a ticket through the post from Northampton or Nottingham when he'd been in Somerset at a customer's and later had taken his car into the garage. The really annoying thing in his case was when he rang the Police to explain they didn't give a toss - we've got a picture of a vehicle with your reg. no. so you're guilty as sin as far as we're concerned - even though he gave them the names and addresses lf several people who could confirm where he'd been at the time. The Police told him to get signed statements from these people and they'd consider it - in other words, he was treated as guilty unless he could prove himself innocent.

So, yes, there is a valid reason for blanking out reg. nos. when you post pics of cars - any car - on the 'net, especially on a car-oriented forum.


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## Blueworm

Personally, it doesn't bother me about my reg plate being seen - after all, if they want to trace it back to Hampshire Police then be my guest :thumb: 

The one thing that people should be aware of is when they take photo's, do they leave their house in the background? For a criminal, this website shows off many cars and we show off our location. Put the location together, put the 'I recognise that area and that house' and you're inviting people to look after your car for you.


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## Fat Audi 80

Settling in then Coxy! :wave:

Personally I couldn't care less about my plate being on the 'net. I don't think there is one other Amethyst Pearl S2 Coupe in the country even if someone did want to clone it! 

Cheers,

Steve.


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## Coxy914

parish said:


> If you don't believe that people do this, then I can assure you they do. The last place I worked *two* of the Sales guys were victims of this.


I am aware of what can and does happen! I wasn't born yesterday and I'm in the motor trade!

What I was trying to point out was that by obscuring out the reg plate really doesn't make the blindingest bit off difference to the criminal. If they wan't an exact match of a car to clone, they will clone it. Whether it be on the net, in a pub car park or just following you down the road. You don't need to walk round Asda car park with a note book and pen to do this! How many phones have built in cameras for starters?
Last week, I went to Ultimate Dubs in Telford, I took nearly 200 photo's, and apart from a couple of people who had show plates, and a few Belgium plates, I got loads of photos of peoples cars and they hadn't hidden their number plates! (shock horror!)



Fat Audi 80 said:


> Settling in then Coxy! :wave:
> 
> Personally I couldn't care less about my plate being on the 'net. I don't think there is one other Amethyst Pearl S2 Coupe in the country even if someone did want to clone it!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Steve.


afternoon Steve!!:wave: :wave: :wave:


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## parish

Coxy914 said:


> What I was trying to point out was that by obscuring out the reg plate really doesn't make the blindingest bit off difference to the criminal. If they wan't an exact match of a car to clone, they will clone it. Whether it be on the net, in a pub car park or just following you down the road. You don't need to walk round Asda car park with a note book and pen to do this! How many phones have built in cameras for starters?


Very true, but surely cloning a number of a car local to you increases the chances of getting caught. Using forums like this, you can get a umber from a car that lives hundreds of miles away from the comfort of your own house.

There's another possibility of course that maybe some people do it as part of their defence against identity theft?

At the end of the day though it's down to the individual whether they blank their number in the pics or not. I choose to, but I'm not criticizing those that don't.


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## Beeste

Blueworm said:


> Personally, it doesn't bother me about my reg plate being seen - after all, if they want to trace it back to Hampshire Police then be my guest :thumb:
> 
> The one thing that people should be aware of is when they take photo's, do they leave their house in the background? For a criminal, this website shows off many cars and we show off our location. Put the location together, put the 'I recognise that area and that house' and you're inviting people to look after your car for you.


....and I see you are from Liverpool  The only place in the UK where my car was vandalised.  And I used to drive over 40K a year. Now I love Liverpool. I've supported the team since 1970 and my dad hails from there too but what a bunch of car thieving vandals that place plays host to.


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## 182_Blue

i don't put my plate in pics, because i don't want it cloning/ using etc etc, yes i know it can be seen on the street but i don't see the point in double or trebling my chance of my plate being found by posting it on the net though, also some companies use the net to find car regs , if people aren't bothered about posting plates then fine, but i personally am bothered


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## parish

Beeste said:


> ....and I see you are from Liverpool  The only place in the UK where my car was vandalised.  And I used to drive over 40K a year. Now I love Liverpool. I've supported the team since 1970 and my dad hails from there too but what a bunch of car thieving vandals that place plays host to.


Not just cars.....


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## Beeste

^^^PMSL :lol: :lol: JUst sprayed my tea over the keyboard. Thanks :thumb:


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## TriBorG

ROFL 
Love the Chair !


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## TriBorG

Blueworm said:


> Personally, it doesn't bother me about my reg plate being seen - after all, if they want to trace it back to Hampshire Police then be my guest :thumb:
> 
> The one thing that people should be aware of is when they take photo's, do they leave their house in the background? For a criminal, this website shows off many cars and we show off our location. Put the location together, put the 'I recognise that area and that house' and you're inviting people to look after your car for you.


Blueworm it can happen !!!!!


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## Blueworm

Hehe seen those pics before :lol: 

Liverpool does get a bad press for car crime but lots of people leave their car with things on show or no extra security. There isn't anything on show in my car, the T5 badge is being removed today and I've got lots of extra security.

However if someone wanted the car, they could take it (professional I mean not just hand my keys over) :lol: These days, you know your car can be removed by someone so you just make it as hard as possible for them. 

If they can get past my alarms, 4Tress steering lock, find the fuel switch to get them around the corner before I have time to come down with my baseball bat then good for em


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## parish

TriBorG said:


>


How small are the brakes on that thing - and only drums on the rear :doublesho :doublesho :doublesho

Love that lift though. Saw one at the Classic Car Show with an Audi on it. Great for doing the arches and lower panels :buffer: :buffer: :buffer: Cost £~800 though IIRC


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## brightpinkstar

It a bit like saying if someone wants to burgle my/a house they will do. So I will leave my doors unlocked and my windows open. You make it harder for criminals, no easier thinking it will happen anyway!!


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## -ROM-

I think it is just a case of don't tempt fate, it takes a matter of minutes to distort them and could save you a LOT of potential s**t


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## IJM

My technique for blanking out plates is to pick the colour of the plate background, use it to fill in the letters I want to obscure and then select that area and pixelate it with largish blocks to render it unreadable. It just makes the plate look blank in a way which I think looks natural and rather neat.










As for the ethics of doing it: better safe than sorry. Like anything else to do with security: if the *******s want your number plate or your car or whatever, make 'em work for it. No point gifting it to them.

Ian.


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## jas11n

Fat Audi 80 said:


> I don't think there is one other Amethyst Pearl S2 Coupe in the country even if someone did want to clone it!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Steve.


There is Steve, saw it on Saturday :thumb: Although lowered on different wheels.

I don't give a monkeys about my plate being shown on the net, hell!, it's even my username  .
Let someone clone it, they'll only draw attention to themselves with my plate anyway.
And there's only three purple S2's left now 

Jas..

Oh, hello Coxy dude :wave:


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## Terrybullwon

jas11n said:


> There is Steve, saw it on Saturday :thumb: Although lowered on different wheels.
> 
> I don't give a monkeys about my plate being shown on the net, hell!, it's even my username  .
> Let someone clone it, they'll only draw attention to themselves with my plate anyway.
> And there's only three purple S2's left now
> 
> Jas..
> 
> Oh, hello Coxy dude :wave:


:wave: Hello fellow audi boys

I quite agree, only s2 on my little island and to get off it my reg gets taken on and off the ferry, so if it was to be cloned i doubt i could get the blame if my cars not been off the island at the time.
And lets face it there is not many about 

James


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## Coxy914

Hello fella's!! :wave: :wave: :wave: :wave: 

Can't hide anywhere can I!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## jas11n

Terrybullwon said:


> :wave: Hello fellow audi boys
> 
> I quite agree, only s2 on my little island and to get off it my reg gets taken on and off the ferry, so if it was to be cloned i doubt i could get the blame if my cars not been off the island at the time.
> And lets face it there is not many about
> 
> James


Hello James, didn't realise you were on here, but then it's not often the site lets me log in 

Just gotta use this smilie>>> :detailer: Mad or what :lol:


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## Terrybullwon

jas11n said:


> Hello James, didn't realise you were on here, but then it's not often the site lets me log in
> 
> Just gotta use this smilie>>> :detailer: Mad or what :lol:


:lol: I always wondered if i would ever see that in use.... :lol:


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## Coxy914

Damn, this thread looks like an S2Forum thread with the recent replies!!


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