Photo Credit: iStockAfter a fake version of her custom license plate appeared on a vehicle she had already traded in, a California woman said she was forced to battle tickets and toll charges tied to another driver.Here's what to knowAccording to ABC7 News, Ross resident Stella Fisher discovered that the 1999 Mercedes she had traded in was still being driven with a paper imitation of her personalized "ART LIFE" plate, leading Oakland speed-camera tickets and dozens of FasTrak charges to be billed to her instead of the actual driver.She said the problem began roughly two months after she moved the plate onto her new car."If I don't pay $224, they're not gonna let me register my car," she said.After initially being unable to understand how the tickets could exist at all, Fisher and her husband, Wynn Hoag, reviewed the citation photos and realized her old car was still being driven, carrying what the DMV later said "appeared to be a counterfeit."More backgroundThe copied plate showed up in speeding cases on Oakland roads such as 7th Street and Hegenberger Road, and Fisher also said FasTrak billed her for toll trips through places she had never been."He just ran through places I've never been, like Alvarado Niles," Fisher said.Even after Fisher reported what was happening, the matter was not immediately fixed.In a letter, a DMV investigator told Fisher, "The license plate being used was not issued by the DMV therefore we cannot investigate or get involved."What can be done?The DMV later said that its investigators do not pull over moving vehicles, but officers who come across the car can stop it, cite the driver, and could tow it because using a fake dealer plate is a misdemeanor towable offense.After reviewing camera photos, Oakland dismissed Fisher's speeding tickets, and FasTrak later removed the toll charges after 7 On Your Side demonstrated that the plate did not match the car."I've spent a lot of time trying to get these things to stop and lived in fear I was gonna be pulled over and held accountable for these speeding tickets that were not mine," she said.Where can I learn more?For more on license plates, vehicle identification, and other road-related disputes, these stories offer a wider look. They cover a Montana specialty plate proposal, disguised Tesla badges, and other allegedly illegal vehicle trends.• In Montana, lawmakers proposed a wildlife crossing plate to fund safer roads for animals.• In the UK, drivers helped document a sharp insect decline using splats on license plates.• Some Tesla owners began disguising their cars with other badges to avoid vandalism.• Drivers complained about lifted trucks using rear-facing high beams that can temporarily blind them.Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.