Photo: Image provided by Placer County Sheriff’s Office
“We want to take some time to make everyone aware of a scam that is currently taking place in Placer County and other surrounding counties. Listed below is a detailed description of what is occurring as people are attempting to sell their vehicles.
-Seller (victim) is contacted by buyer (suspects) via FB marketplace, craigslist, etc.
-Suspect arranges to meet with sellers at desired location. Suspects have met in Raley’s plot off Lincoln way and recently at victim’s residence in Auburn.
-Suspect arrives with at least two other suspects to inspect the vehicle.
-Suspects ask victim to pop the hood and one of the suspects inspects the engine compartment while the other suspects ask to look in the trunk and/or distract the victim in some manner.
-Suspect at the engine pours oil in the radiator and on top of the engine manifold. At some point one of the other suspects pours oil near the rear of the vehicle.
-Suspect goes to test drive the vehicle and when the engine warms up the oil on the engine manifold causes it to smoke.
-Suspect and victim open the hood to find engine smoking and they open the radiator cap and the suspect shows there is oil in the radiator telling the victim the engine is “blown.”
-Suspect then offers the victim an extremely low-ball offer to take the vehicle off their hands.
-At that point the victim will sign over the vehicle to the suspect.
-These cases have happened in Nevada County, El Dorado County, Sacramento County, and our county.
Our detectives are currently working with the other counties in order to identify the suspects. We highly encourage anyone who lives in Placer County and has experienced this type of scam to call the Sheriff’s Office at 530-889-7800. Also be vigilant whenever you are in the process of selling a vehicle, and if something seems suspicious don’t feel pressured into doing something that doesn’t seem right.”
