Skip to main content

REMINDER: For motor vehicle services, you must join the virtual waitlist or schedule an appointment. The waitlist opens daily at 8am and may close early due to capacity. Click Same-Day Wait List or Appointments to get started.

Home DeKalb Tax Commissioner
  • 404-298-4000
  • CONTACT

  

  • Home
  • How Do I
    • File for Homestead Exemption
    • Request a Property Tax Bill
    • Make An Online Payment
    • Register My Vehicle
  • About
  • Employment
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Residents
    • New Residents
    • Disabled Residents
    • Senior Citizens
    • Veterans
  • Services
    • Payments
    • Appointments
    • Same-Day Wait List
    • Property Tax
    • Delinquent Tax
    • Motor Vehicles
  • MEDIA ROOM
    • Videos
    • News
    • Events
  • Did You Know?
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Locations & Hours
Fraud Prevention Tips

Fraud Prevention Tips

  1. Home
  2. Fraud Prevention Tips

Title Fraud is Illegal: Look Before You Leap

Are you planning to buy a vehicle?  If so, here’s something you need to know.

Every year unsuspecting buyers lose their hard earned cash and the car they intended to purchase due to title fraud.

Your tax office is doing more than ‘just collecting’ tax dollars, we also look for instances of title fraud and report it the authorities when found. The Motor Vehicle Department of the Tax Commissioner’s office processes vehicle titles and completes the tag registration process for vehicles. During this process several security checks are undertaken to attempt to uncover title fraud.

Tax offices and the Department of Revenue are vigilant about safeguarding you against those who would edit, alter, and misrepresent the status of a vehicle and its title. Each year we catch and prosecute dozens of would-be fraudsters attempting to pass off fraudulent titles.

Title fraud is illegal. Here are some tips on how to avoid being a victim of title fraud in our community and around Georgia.

  • Is the listed name on the title (proof of ownership) the same as the person offering the vehicle for sale?
  • Always verify make, model, VIN#, color, mileage, and look for sign of changes in either of these.
  • If the seller doesn’t have time to accompany you to your local tag office to process the title and tag registration, they avoid in person meetings. You may want to re-consider?
  • If the seller’s title looks older than the vehicle it represents, remember: vehicles and their titles age together.
  • Is it a salvage or re-built vehicle title?
  • If the seller has never registered in the home state of any other state or the mileage appears to be low for a vehicle of its age and condition, does that give some concern?
  • When you look at the title, does it have any handwritten or typed corrections or changes in the information on the title?

Before signing, remember the adage: If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t. This applies especially to newer cars that are offered at low, bargain prices.

Take time to prevent title fraud!

Thank You,

Your DeKalb County Tax Commissioner

Office Marker map

North office

0

South Office

0

Central office

0

Services

  • Payment
    • Motor Vehicles
    • Property Tax
  • Property Tax
    • View and Pay Property Tax Online
    • Apply for Exemptions
    • Exemptions
    • Tax Bill Information
    • Payment Information
    • Mobile Home Information
    • Documents & Forms
    • Property Assessment
    • Real Estate Professionals
  • Delinquent Tax
    • Tax Sales General Information
    • Tax Sale Pre-Registration
    • Tax Sale Listing
    • Excess Funds
    • Documents & Forms
  • Motor Vehicles
    • Address Changes
    • Commercial, Dealer and Fleet Services
    • Commercial Vehicles
    • Dealer Services
    • Fleet Vehicles
    • Disabled Parking Placards/Permits and Plates
    • Emissions Requirements
    • Fees
    • Forms
    • Insurance
    • Motor Vehicle Appeal
    • New Residents
    • Vehicle Registration
    • Tag Renewals
    • Vehicle Taxes
    • Temporary Operating Permits/Plates
    • Titles
    • Trailers
  • Appointments
  • Same-Day Wait List

Pay tax

Pay tax

kiosks

Event Calendar

Contact Us

404.298.4000
Motor Vehicle:
tag@dekalbcountyga.gov
Property Tax:
proptax@dekalbcountyga.gov
Delinquent Tax:
delinquentcollections2@dekalbcountyga.gov

Find Us

  • Google Maps
  • Office Locations

Follow Us

  

Subscribe

Get the latest news and updates about the Tax Commissioner’s Office

Sign Up

Logo
Copyright © 2021 Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson. All Rights Reserved.