Around 8 am on 29/4, in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Trung Quoc, a man approached a parked car. He placed a piece of black tape over the letter F on its license plate, altering it to an E. The man then opened the door of a car parked directly behind before leaving. Fortunately, the dashcam on the targeted vehicle recorded the entire incident.

Around 2 pm that same day, traffic police contacted Mr. Yun, the car owner, stating that his vehicle had been reported for using a fake license plate. Initially confused, Mr. Yun reviewed his surveillance video and realized he had been framed. Without this video evidence, he could have faced charges of intentionally falsifying a license plate, resulting in 12 penalty points, a 5,000 nhan dan te (approximately 732 USD) fine, and up to 15 days of detention. Authorities consider such actions a serious criminal offense, not a minor infraction.

The mysterious individual reportedly targeted Mr. Yun's vehicle specifically, choosing a time just after the morning rush hour when roads were less crowded. This precise execution suggested careful planning and a clear objective.

The man did not randomly alter the plate; he intentionally changed "F" to "E". These two letters are visually similar, particularly in low-quality or blurry images, making them prone to confusion for both automated systems and human observers. This technique is consistent with previously exposed black market license plate forgery schemes, which often target easily confused characters.

Police have taken on the case, but the suspect remains at large. Similar incidents have occurred previously in Beijing and Shenzhen, though mostly in remote areas. This particular act, however, took place on a main road within a major city.

Potential motives for this behavior include revenge for a traffic dispute or collision, or unresolved issues such as parking space disagreements.

In light of this incident, police advise drivers to habitually inspect their license plates before and after driving. If any malicious alteration is discovered, drivers should immediately photograph it as evidence and contact the police.

My Anh (via Sina)