Shameless scamsters targeting distressed vehicle theft victims with ‘good news’

An old scam that seeks to defraud vehicle theft victims is doing the rounds again, community police are warning.

The Honeydew Community Police Forum said the scammers target people who have recently had their vehicles stolen, and relies on inside information gained from police databases.

The victim receives a phone call from a person claiming to be a detective from the “Vehicle Recovery Unit”, or a unit with a similar name, informing them that their vehicle has been recovered, usually “near the border”.

This is meant to add a sense of urgency to the situation, and make it sound more believable.

However, there’s a catch - the victim is asked to pay a fee to have the vehicle recovered and returned to the city from which it was stolen. 

The perpetrators usually request payment through an untraceable method, such as an e-wallet, bank transfer or cash deposit.

“It’s all a lie - the scammers use the emotional stress of losing your vehicle to trick you into paying them money,” the CPF said.

Vehicle theft victims who receive such a call are urged to ask for the caller’s name as well as their badge number and station, before hanging up and calling said station directly to confirm their identity.

But do not hand over any money, as legitimate authorities do not charge fees for recovering stolen vehicles, the CPF said. 

Also be sure to report the incident to your local police station immediately.

“This scam preys on people’s vulnerability during an already stressful time. Stay alert, and spread the word to protect others!” the policing forum said.

IOL