Covering your license plate in your for-sale ad...

[Josh1234]

Why do people bother?  They ride around for years with their license plate out in the open, and then when they go to sell the bike, they cover their plate in the ad.  That makes no sense to me.  It's not like the license plate info/address database is public knowledge.  

[Bad324]

because the internet is a dangerous place

[Gixxus Christ!]

Never understood it either but I have a theory.

Identity theft and Internet crime are extremely popular these days and people are scared, so they do whatever they can do to preserve some anonymity online. The fact they choose to cover their plate and give out their phone number shows they're just not that bright.

[ScubaCinci]

I do...it's called due diligence. Anyone diligent enough could probably also get my name and address information. Every bit of personal info someone gains can be used to social engineer others into giving up more info or even access to things. One day I may mention online that I'm going on vacation and get back to find out I've been robbed. I never publish my phone number publicly online either. Who knows what people will do with info they get online.It takes all of 10 seconds to edit the picture.

 

I also shred my mail and old credit cards. I'd rather be paranoid than regretful.

Edited July 29, 2014 by ScubaCinci

[Josh1234]

I do...it's called due diligence. Anyone diligent enough could probably also get my name and address information. Every bit of personal info someone gains can be used to social engineer others into giving up more info or even access to things. One day I may mention online that I'm going on vacation and get back to find out I've been robbed. I never publish my phone number publicly online either. Who knows what people will do with info they get online.It takes all of 10 seconds to edit the picture.

 

I also shred my mail and old credit cards. I'd rather be paranoid than regretful.

 

So you block out the plate of your motorcycle when you sell it.... But then give out your name and address so people can come look at it?  Or if you meet them publicly, then the plate will have to be on the bike anyway.  The point is that the plate is already public information, so why hide it?

[redkow97]

I don't do or advocate anything illegal online, but assuming I did, I wouldn't want my real name associated with my screen name.  My vehicle license plate makes it possible for law enforcement to link my actual identity with my online identity.

 

That's not to say I couldn't post pictures of another person's vehicle and claim it's my own, throwing off the process and casting doubt as to my actual identity, but then it doesn't take a ton of detective work for police to show up at my house and observe that the plate on the car in my driveway matches the one I've posted online.  Then again, the same could be said for the background of the photo...

 

**edit - and after I type this and see it posted, I realize that my first name, city of residence, and WERA number are in my signature.  My WERA profile has my full name anyway.  I ain't scurd. 

Edited July 29, 2014 by redkow97

[ScubaCinci]

So you block out the plate of your motorcycle when you sell it.... But then give out your name and address so people can come look at it?  Or if you meet them publicly, then the plate will have to be on the bike anyway.  The point is that the plate is already public information, so why hide it?

I meet in a public place...especially if selling on Craigslist. If I meet someone, the plate is on the bike but it's 1 person, not untold thousands online. The plate is publicly visible but as I ride by the observer has no other info about me other than the state I live in and my overall appearance which is also somewhat masked by gear. Online, people have the ability to glean much more info if they are intelligent and persistent enough.

 

Again, this is an ounce of prevention that takes little effort so I don't see the downside for doing so.

[Bad324]

Also who cares if they do or don't. How's it affect your wanting to purchase said bike?

[DAC]

Also who cares if they do or don't. How's it affect your wanting to purchase said bike?

This. If someone feels more comfortable, including me, then let it go at that. Normal people don't think like crooks. They hear of very clever scams that would have never occurred to them. So they're careful.

Bike models are a dime a dozen and a machine and person combination could easily be replicated down to the exact helmet graphics. Put a fake plate on it and you can pull off a crime while implicating someone else.

Edited July 29, 2014 by DAC

[Tpoppa]

If I was trying to get license plate numbers wouldn't it be much easier to go to any parking lot in the world?

[DAC]

Would you know where they live or any other details about the rider of the kind you can find here?

[Tpoppa]

Ok, couldn't I just drive by any house in the world to see a car in a driveway and know where they live?

[DAC]

Good point. Possibly correct. But wouldn't you have to ascertain that the owner of said car actually lives there? Would you be exposed during this surveillance?

Interesting theoretical discussion. Could easily be wrong about all of this - but choose to be careful.

Edited July 29, 2014 by DAC

[Bad324]

I've heard the arguments both ways and agree to both sides which is exactly why it's a who gives a shit topic because how does it truly affect anything?

[Josh1234]

I've heard the arguments both ways and agree to both sides which is exactly why it's a who gives a shit topic because how does it truly affect anything?

 

It doesn't.  But I like to think up idea for posts and then post them when I'm at work.  RedKow started the same topic like 2+ years ago, LOL

 

'Sides, it always annoys me when I see people covering their plate on craigslist. It's not like it's a secret.

[Bad324]

Now I know to make sure to cover my license plates just to annoy people!

[Tpoppa]

For my next motorcycle for sale add, I'm going to block out the entire picture of the motorcycle.  I don't want internet theives knowing what kid of motorcycle I ride

[2talltim]

For my next motorcycle for sale add, I'm going to block out the entire picture of the motorcycle.  I don't want internet theives knowing what kid of motorcycle I ride

Winner! 

Edited July 29, 2014 by 2talltim

[Scruit]

If you have a traffic ticket on that plate then your home address can be found on online court records sites that allow a plate search. Nice bike, easy to find.

[Strictly Street]

Cell phone can be registered to a PO Box so reverse look up of the number may not get you the location where the bike is parked.

Plate number cannot be registered to PO box so that is likely where the bike is at night.

Add a hacker or crooked cop to the mix and ....