A New One-Click Tool Could Help Protect Your Car From Theft

Vehicle owners in Israel can now add another layer of protection against attempts to transfer their cars into someone else’s hands without their knowledge. The Ministry of Transport and Road Safety launched a new digital service this morning (Tuesday), allowing owners to block in advance the option of transferring ownership of their vehicle at Israel Post branches. Within the first hours of the service becoming available, hundreds of vehicle owners had already activated the block.<\/p>

The new service follows the identification of an increase in attempts to fraudulently transfer vehicle ownership, including through identity theft and forged documents. The Transportation Ministry’s security division identified dozens of cases in which ownership was allegedly transferred this way. At the same time, compared with previous years, there has also been an increase in the number of legal proceedings opened over cases of this kind.<\/p>

One method highlighted by the Transportation Ministry begins with the entirely routine process of selling a car. The owner posts an ad on a secondhand marketplace site and is contacted by someone presenting themselves as a potential buyer. That person asks for a photo of the vehicle registration, supposedly so they can find out in advance how much insurance will cost or explore financing options.<\/p>

But the details listed on the registration may be used by impostors in an attempt to transfer ownership at a post office branch, using forged documents and without the vehicle owner’s knowledge. In response to these cases, the Transportation Ministry warns against sending a photo of a vehicle registration, identity card, or other identifying documents to anyone whose identity is not known and verified.<\/p>

To reduce the risk, owners can access the new service through the government’s personal online portal, select the relevant vehicle, and activate the block. Once it is activated, ownership of that vehicle cannot be transferred at a post office branch until its owner personally logs into the portal and removes the block.<\/p>

The entire process is completed digitally and does not require a visit to the licensing office or post office. The Transportation Ministry also recommends keeping the block activated at all times, as long as the vehicle owner does not intend to transfer ownership through a post office branch. If needed, it can be canceled at any time through a short process.<\/p>

At the initial stage, however, not all vehicles can use the service. For now, the option is available for a private vehicle registered to only one owner, and it cannot be activated if the vehicle is listed as stolen or is being dismantled. The Transportation Ministry plans to expand the option later to vehicles registered to two owners, as well as company-owned vehicles.<\/p>

The new block also does not prevent the vehicle owner from making a sale through the online ownership-transfer service in the government’s personal portal. In fact, the Transportation Ministry presents the online option as the preferred and safest way to complete the transaction.<\/p>

Under this method, the buyer and seller each identify themselves through the national identification system and then approve the transaction directly through the licensing system. This eliminates the need to rely on physical documents, which can be forged.<\/p>

According to the Transportation Ministry, the online ownership-transfer service was developed under the government’s information-security framework and has undergone penetration testing. The process can be completed within minutes, both on a computer and through a mobile phone. Its use is growing significantly: this year, approximately 61% of all ownership transfers in Israel have already been completed through it, compared with 42% in 2024.<\/p>

Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev responded: "We are giving every vehicle owner a simple and effective tool that will allow them to protect one of their most important and valuable assets and prevent an ownership transfer at the post office without their knowledge. Hundreds of vehicle owners joined the service in its first hours, and this is a clear expression of the public’s need for effective protection against fraud. We will continue harnessing technology to provide the public with secure, accessible, and advanced service."<\/p>

Transportation Ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken added: "Starting today, Israeli citizens have an accessible way to protect their vehicles from fraudulent ownership transfers. The service can be activated easily and quickly from any phone or computer and makes it possible to stop the fraud before it even begins. I recommend that everyone carry out all vehicle licensing transactions through the personal online portal—it is easy, simple, and above all, secure."<\/p>