The Head of Legal and Prosecutions at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Leo Anthony Siamah, has outlined several key factors Ghanaians should consider when purchasing a vehicle.
According to him, applying these guidelines can help prevent individuals from unknowingly buying stolen vehicles, which could land them in legal trouble.
Speaking on JoyNews on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Siamah disclosed that one major red flag to look out for is the type of vehicle being purchased.
He explained that certain high-end vehicles, such as the Honda CR-V, Range Rover, among other luxury models, should raise suspicion.
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“First of all, we have put out a list containing some of the vehicles that are prone to theft. We have named the Honda CR-V which on our list is the highest number; in terms of the vehicles that are stolen. We have mentioned the Dodge Ram, the Ford F-150, and the Range Rover. In addition to that, you are also looking at the BMW X7 and X8 series, Mercedes Benz and all those luxury brand vehicles.
“This is because these vehicles have a high-end value and there’s also a very high demand for them. This is one of the problems,” he said.
Secondly, Siamah stated that buyers should be cautious of evasive sellers who are unwilling to provide essential information about the vehicle’s transaction history.
“In terms of the other red flags, when you are purchasing such a vehicle and you question or you try to ask a lot of questions pertaining to the transaction history of the vehicle and you are getting an evasive seller, that should be a red flag for you to advise yourself. If you are requesting the identity verification in terms of a valid identification from a seller and the person is withholding such information, that should also be a red flag,” he stated.
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Siamah further advised buyers to check if the vehicle’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is intact, noting that altered or tampered VINs could indicate that the car has been stolen.
“If for instance, you are inspecting documentation, a title or custom declaration documents, and you realise that VIN numbers are altered, tempered with or even in some cases, deleted; these are also red flags,” he stated.
Another red flag Siamah mentioned is vehicles without rearview mirrors, explaining that GPS tracking devices are often hidden in that area.
“When you are doing a physical inspection of the vehicle, and you see vehicles for instance, such as those without the rearview mirror, which is where the GPS tracking device is actually kept, that should be a red flag,” he mentioned.
“In some instances, you realise that the VIN number is contained in the vehicle, as it comes on the vehicle. There are about two or three locations in the vehicle you can inspect VIN numbers. There’s one on the dashboard, there’s one on the engine area, and there’s one around the seatbelt side. If those three VIN numbers are not consistent with each other, that should also be a red flag for you,” he added.
Lastly, he added that the cost of the vehicle should also be carefully considered, noting that expensive cars being sold at unusually low prices should raise suspicions.
“Now the cost of a vehicle is also imperative. If you look at the market value of a vehicle, which is about $400,000 to $500,000 on the market, and someone is offering to sell it to you for 100,000 that should obviously be a red flag. So, some of these things are very important for us to look at,” he said.
MAG/VPO
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