A prosecution for odometer fraud is rare. The offense is difficult to prosecute because it has to be proven that the seller tampered with the odometer and knowingly misrepresented the car during the sale, said Honolulu police Lt. Alan Anami. It's the chance you take with a private party. If you go back to a commercial dealer, they might take it back if they misrepresented a car. Meanwhile, the Kaimuki victim is hoping the suspect who took his money, who actually is being investigated by the state, will be prosecuted soon.
Odometer fraud is when an odometer is rolled back or disconnected.
Fraud also occurs when incorrect information is given about the accuracy of the odometer reading. Since the value of your car goes down as the miles driven goes up, you could pay thousands of dollars more than the actual value of the car. A sticker indicating the true mileage before service and the date of service must be attached to the vehicle's left door frame. When the vehicle is sold, a disclosure statement must indicate the odometer error.