Buying A Car In Illinois? These Are The Signs Of Odometer Fraud

People can be shady and that's evident in a rising crime in Illinois.

According to NBC Chicago, there is a rise in cases of odometer fraud in Illinois. These are the sketchy folks who try to pass off a car as having less miles on it than it actually does so they roll back the odometer to show fewer miles, in hopes you'll be more likely to buy the car.

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Used car prices are expected to drop this year so more folks might be on the hunt for a new ride. But before you drop cash on a used car, there are steps you can take to make sure it's odometer hasn't been toyed with. Patrick Olsen with Carfax told NBC Chicago that people can take up to 100,000 miles off of a car's odometer by rolling it back. He suggested this:

Look at the vehicle history report from the car and good dealers and good salespeople will be transparent and offer you a vehicle history report. If suddenly it goes from 80,000 miles down to 60,000 miles, that's a red flag

Everlance says other steps you can take to see if it's been tampered with include:

• Making sure the odometer numbers are readable
• Look at the car's inspection and maintenance records
• Noting if the car looks clearly more worn than the mileage shown (you likely won't have a car with 5,000 miles on it that looks like it's been through 5 hurricanes)

The Illinois Secretary of State's office advises you to get a qualified mechanic to examine the car if you're unsure. You also shouldn't sign blank documents and make sure to review the title (do not buy a car that has an altered title).

If you're a victim of odometer fraud in Illinois, you can get an attorney to help you and could be awarded "$1,500 or three times the amount of damages plus court costs and attorney fees".