Kent County Council Trading Standards has successfully prosecuted three fraudsters who ripped off motorists with a car-clocking scam.
A complex and extensive investigation by the Kent Trading Standards team uncovered how Ryan Regan (34) of Broadstairs, Thomas Hamilton (34) of Broadstairs and Darren Cradduck (59) of Chartham wound the clocks back on 23 high-mileage vehicles that they bought at auction and then sold online to customers across the country.
In total, the odometers on the vehicles had been wound back by more than two million miles – the equivalent of almost four round trips to the moon.
The case came to the attention of Kent Trading Standards in 2018 when a van which had just been purchased did not make the journey from the pick-up point in Ramsgate home to North Yorkshire. When the new owner called the dealer to complain, he was threatened with physical violence.
Operation Blackboard was launched, supported by National Trading Standards (NTS) Tri Region Investigation Team. Information gathered from car auction houses showed that there were more than 20 trading names linked to the group, and that the mileages of vehicles sold at auction did not tally when they were resold.
Officers gathered abundant evidence that the trio were key players in the scam. CCTV footage seized from premises in Sandwich showed Cradduck plugging in his laptop and tampering with vehicles’ mileage – doing what in slang terms is known as ‘giving the vehicles a haircut’. More than 100,000 miles were wiped from 10 of the vehicles, with one vehicle’s mileage being wiped by 163,000 in one go.
A warrant was executed at a unit at the Old Boatyard, Sandwich, and fake logbooks, MOT certificates and ‘ringing’ kits – used to change the identity of a vehicle by removing the chassis number and generating new number plates – were seized. Meticulously kept sales records were also seized, and in a first for the Kent team, a handwriting expert was brought in to prove who was responsible.
Kent Police also provided support; the vehicle examinations unit extracted data from the vehicles’ electronic control units that did not correspond to the mileage displayed on the dashboards.
Phone, email and bank accounts were also examined, revealing that in addition to the commercial operation, Cradduck regularly received requests from people who wanted to clock their lease vehicles so they would not be financially penalised. His going rate for this service was £50 a time.
Cradduck had also installed a ‘cam blocker’ in his BMW, a device which stops mileage being added.
Painstaking investigation
In total, the Kent team gathered and cross-referenced information relating to more than 200 vehicles handled by the group. Auto Trader and eBay assisted with the investigation, the case file for which consists of hundreds of thousands of documents and occupied hundreds working hours.
The three men initially declined to comment when interviewed, but by Christmas 2024, all had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud.
At Canterbury Crown Court on 24 January, HHJ Edmund Fowler sentenced Regan and Hamilton to two years’ imprisonment suspended for two years. Cradduck was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years. They were also each ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
The judge also awarded £32,500 in compensation with further payments to be determined at a future hearing.
Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, Clair Bell, said: “The Trading Standards team do not commit to an investigation of this nature lightly, but they did so based on the harm that was being caused in this case.
“This group were allowing people to drive away in potentially dangerous cars and vans, completely in the dark about their vehicle’s history. The new owners took a financial hit, unknowingly paying too much to begin with and many then having huge repair bills on top.
“The offenders’ actions also undermine trust in the used vehicle market.
“I commend the team for their extensive investigation into a complex web of criminality and deception, requiring significant endurance as they pieced together a shocking picture of systematic mileage adjustment on an industrial scale.
“The outcome represents a significant victory in the fight against organised crime and fraudulent trading practices and I hope acts as a warning to others.”
Clive Phillips, Operations Manager for Complex Investigations at Kent Trading Standards, said: “This successful prosecution is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Trading Standards team. We are committed to protecting consumers and legitimate businesses, ensuring that those who engage in fraudulent activities are brought to justice.
“The successful prosecution of the defendants in Operation Blackboard highlights the importance of vigilance and thorough investigation in combating fraud. Kent County Council remains dedicated to safeguarding the public from deceptive practices and will continue to work tirelessly to uphold the law.”
Ian Wright, Operations manager for the NTS Tri Region Investigation Team said: “We are pleased to have been able to support Kent TS with this investigation. The practice of altering vehicle mileages is both illegal and could endanger lives.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, commented: “Vehicle ‘clocking’ is a serious crime that puts lives at risk as well as defrauding customers out of their hard-earned cash. Not only that – it also damages the reputation of honest businesses in the sector.
“I would like to thank the diligent work of the highly skilled investigators at Kent County Council and the NTS Tri Region Team whose work has brought these criminals to justice.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to those who consider profiting through deception – fraud is a serious crime. We encourage people to report suspected cases to the Citizens Advice consumer service.”
