Fraud Red Flag
V5C forgery
Also known as: fake V5C, fake logbook
A counterfeit or altered V5C used to support a cloned or stolen vehicle, or to pass a finance-encumbered vehicle as clear.
Tell-tales include: the paper feels wrong (genuine V5Cs are printed on a specific stock with a watermark visible against light), the document reference number does not match the DVLA's current record, micro-printing in the border looks blurred, or the keeper's name and address are slightly misaligned with the form's print field.
The DVLA's V5C/2 green new-keeper slip is widely abused — sellers hand over only the green slip claiming to have posted the rest to the DVLA. The slip alone is not enough to verify the vehicle's history.