As new technology makes it harder to steal cars, today's thieves are using sophisticated "white-collar" methods to get a new set of wheels.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and its law enforcement partners reported this week a growing number of these cases which, in legal terms, constitute financial fraud. This means these stolen vehicles aren't counted as auto thefts, which could account for the decline in auto theft crime statistics the last two decades.

NICB will highlight a number of new schemes over the next few months that criminals are using to steal vehicles in order to increase public awareness, according to a company release.

Robbers use stolen forms of identification to fraudulently lease or obtain loans to purchase new cars. Once they drive the vehicle off the lot, they skip out without ever making a payment.

The vehicles are often sold to unsuspecting buyers after the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) have been switched.

 NICB Senior Special Agent Mike Kelso, working with Brown Deer, Wisc. police, uncovered an ID theft ring in Detroit, Michigan, during a recent case. The thieves used stolen IDs to fraudulently lease five vehicles worth $300,000, which they planned to sell later on, according to the release.

Two people were arrested and convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

During the investigation, five fake Michigan driver's licenses, the personal identifying information of several identity theft victims, and over $20,000 worth of fraudulently purchased merchandise were recovered.

There is currently no central database that quantifies these crimes, despite a notable increase in this type of auto theft.

"Trying to put a number on these kinds of thefts is a challenge," said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle, according to the release. "It's comparable to a hacker stealing IDs -- you don't know you're a victim until it's too late. Most of these thefts don't show up in traditional crime reporting numbers and become financial losses for lenders, car rental companies and others. The result is millions of dollars added to the cost of doing business which is ultimately passed on to consumers."

Car buyers should occasionally check their credit reports for signs that someone else is using their identity to take out new loans.

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