VIN Scanner Identifies U.S. Stolen Vehicle on First Day of Use in Mexico.

Federal Law Enforcement arrested 3 suspects driving a 2003 VIN switched Honda operating as a taxi. The vehicle was stolen from California nearly one year ago.

CARLSBAD, Calif., July 15, 2010; Bender Enterprises Inc., a leading auto theft detection and prevention company, recently released a new handheld barcode VIN scanner (VINtrack-Live) to assist law enforcement in identifying stolen vehicles and wholesale car buyers in capturing the true identity and value of a vehicle.

Mexican Federal authorities were testing this new technology at a check point just across the California border when the VINtrack software identified a stolen vehicle that would have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

Nearly one million vehicles are stolen every year in the United States and it has become increasingly difficult to recover them. Over 400,000 stolen vehicles are not recovered every year in the United States and most of them end up back in commerce with their identity changed. These vehicles further victimize the new owners and automobile dealers as the vehicle will be confiscated by law enforcement.

The sophistication of organized car theft rings has increased dramatically over the last decade making it very difficult for even a seasoned auto theft detective to distinguish a VIN-switched stolen vehicle or clone from a good vehicle.

Auto thieves have used fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) to pass off stolen cars to an unsuspecting marketplace using techniques that law enforcement call "VIN-switching," and "Cloning." VINtrack operates in conjunction with barcode scanners so that investigators can tell if a car has been stolen or if the VIN number has been modified. VINtrack is the only software in the world specifically designed to detect counterfeit vehicle identification numbers.

More than 200 local, state and federal agencies around the world use VINtrack systems for theft detection. The automotive industry, insurance companies, and automotive dealers use VINtrack systems to make informed buying decisions and prevent the millions of dollars lost by unknowingly selling VIN-switched vehicles.

"This is an essential tool to improve recovery of these sophisticated 21st Century VIN-switches," said Mike Bender- an international auto theft expert and founder of Bender Enterprises.

About Bender Enterprises:

Bender Enterprises Inc. is a worldwide leader in innovative stolen vehicle identification, training, and consultation and can be reached at www.VINtrack.com (888) 724-2597.