Unprecedented success for the Ministry of Transportation's digital service to protect against fraudulent vehicle ownership transfers: In less than a month since the service was launched, more than 200,000 vehicle owners have already activated a block preventing the transfer of ownership of their vehicle at Israel Post branches.
From today, the service is also available for privately owned vehicles registered in the names of two owners, increasing the number of vehicle owners who can benefit from the protection provided by the service.
The Ministry of Transportation calls on vehicle owners who have not yet activated the block to enter the government personal area and join the service. The block is activated digitally, within minutes and without the need to go to the licensing office or post office.
How do you protect the vehicle?
Enter the dedicated service in the government personal area, select the vehicle and activate the block on transferring ownership by mail. Once the block is activated, it will not be possible to transfer ownership of the vehicle at the post office, unless the vehicle owner removes the block in the personal area themselves.
The Ministry of Transportation recommends leaving the block active as long as there is no need to transfer ownership by mail. It can be removed at any time through a short and simple digital process.
The block does not prevent the vehicle owner from selling their vehicle through the online ownership transfer service in the government's personal area. In this way, the seller and buyer identify themselves through the national identification system and confirm the transaction directly with the Ministry of Transportation's licensing system.
The service was launched in response to attempts to transfer ownership of vehicles through identity theft, impersonation, and the use of forged documents. The Ministry of Transportation's Security Division has identified dozens of cases in which ownership transfers were allegedly fraudulent, and at the same time, there has been an increase in the number of legal proceedings on the subject compared to previous years.
One of the scam methods begins with advertising a car for sale on second-hand websites. Fraudsters contact the car owner and request a photocopy of the car's license, claiming that it is needed to check insurance or financing costs. Using the details and fake documents, they may attempt to transfer ownership without the car owner's knowledge or permission.
The Ministry of Transportation once again calls on the public not to provide a photocopy of a vehicle license, ID card, or identification documents to a person whose identity is not known and verified.
The Ministry of Transportation emphasizes that the preferred method for transferring ownership between a seller and a buyer is the online service in the government's personal area. In this procedure, the seller and buyer enter the personal area themselves, identify themselves using the national identification system, and confirm the operation directly with the licensing system.
The procedure is not based on the presentation of physical documents that can be forged. The identities of the parties are verified through the government identification system, the vehicle details are obtained directly from the official vehicle database, and both parties are required to approve the transaction.
The service allows you to complete the transfer of ownership within minutes using your mobile phone or computer and without the need to go to the post office.
In 2024, approximately 421% of all ownership transfers in Israel were carried out through the online service - approximately half a million transfers.
Minister of Transportation Miri Regev: "The impressive response of more than 200,000 vehicle owners in a short time proves that the public wants simple, accessible and secure tools to protect their property. We continue to expand the service and now also allow owners of vehicles registered in the names of two partners to join. I call on everyone who has not yet activated the block to do so today. We will continue to use technology to reduce fraud and improve security and service to citizens.""
