Used car buyers have been warned to be wary of fake NCT certs which may be doing the rounds.

The warning has been issued by MyVehicle.ie who say that the certs can be elaborate and difficult to distinguish from genuine versions.

An invalid NCT cert can land you five penalty points, a €2,000 fine and possibly three months' jail.

In a statement, the website said:

"Right now, there is a black market demand for these certs. Fake NCTs are surfacing throughout the country.

"The potential buyer sees the NCT certificate on the windscreen and just takes it at face value that the car is mechanically sound, when in fact this may not be the case at all."

Buyers are urged to scrunitise the certs as best as possible and should always check the registration number on the cert against the make and model of car. 

(H/T Independent.ie)

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