Investigators and industry experts describe a recurring pattern that now has its own name: “Rent, Drive, Steal”. It describes how organised perpetrator groups legally take possession of rental vehicles in order to make them disappear afterwards.
How the scam works
Front persons are sent into car rentals with forged ID documents. High-value vehicles, often SUVs, are preferably rented. The vehicle is equipped with stolen blank registrations and forged papers and resold well below market value while the rental is still running. When the rental operator finally demands the vehicle back, it is long gone.
Why the crime is so hard to grasp
Legally, misappropriation clearly differs from theft: the vehicle is handed over voluntarily. There are usually accompanying offences such as document forgery, misuse of ID papers and money laundering. This makes clarification complex – and recovery of the vehicle unlikely.
The lever is at the counter
The perpetrators' decisive weak point is the moment of rental. If the ID or driving licence document is reliably checked for authenticity there, the entire chain collapses. A professional document checker detects anomalies in near real time and stops the process before damage occurs.
Sources & further information
- kfz-betrieb (Vogel): podcast “Wheels & Crime” (2026)
- Frankfurt General Prosecutor's Office
- German Society for Anti-Money-Laundering