Those looking to buy second-hand vehicles should keep their wits about them if they are to avoid being made victims of clocking.
Vehicle information provider HPI has issued the warning following research that showed that eight per cent of cars checked by the service have been the victim of this practice.
This has become even easier with the introduction of modern digital odometers, which could have negatively affected car insurance prices.
Nicola Johnson, consumer services manager for HPI, has stated that the risk is highest for those looking at everyday vehicles, as these have been the biggest target.
She asserted: "The relative ease of clocking these vehicles, combined with sheer volume being sold, represents the quickest buck for them and the biggest risk to the consumer."
Among the problems that Ms Johnson highlights as resulting from this practice include a higher risk of injury.
"Vehicles with incorrect mileages may have also missed important services and part replacement dates, making them unreliable and potentially un-roadworthy," she added, highlighting the potential car insurance consequences of this.
It is essential for motorists looking to minimise the risk that they put themselves and their loved ones in to protect themselves from this threat.
With older vehicles, tell-tale signs are damage to screws and poorly-aligned numbers that suggest the figures have been tampered with.
For more modern vehicles, HPI suggests checking services such as the ones it offers in order to ensure that the vehicle has not been clocked.
Earlier this month, consumer magazine Which? highlighted the fact that modern car designs often have safety flaws which endanger those behind the wheel.
It suggested that the positioning of metal around the driver's seat can actually serve as an obstruction to the windscreen and lower the area of visibility outside, potentially raising the risk of a car insurance claim needing to be made.
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