Caravans QLD: Scammers, thieves target buyers of second hand vans

Caravan buyers are being warned to be wary of stolen vans and scammers as criminals seek to cash in amid soaring demand. FULL DETAILS

CARAVAN buyers are being warned to look out for stolen vans and scam artists posing as legitimate businesses online as criminals seek to cash in on the camping boom.

A number of expensive caravans have been reported stolen across the Gold Coast over summer.

It is believed the caravans are being targeted by criminal gangs who drive them interstate before attempting to sell them online.

Alicia Hutchins’ father Taoe had his caravan, worth $75,000, stolen a week before Christmas. It has not been found.

“What happened was someone broke into my dad’s water truck business, Hinterland Water Supplies, in Nerang,” she said.

“They cut through the fence and cut the power to our cameras, which are connected by Wifi. They connected the caravan to the car, which was a gold Lexus with a painted black door on the passenger side.”

An image from CCTV footage showing Taoe Hutchins’ caravan being stolen in December.

The owners of a caravan stolen in Kirra last month were more fortunate – it was found across the border hours later after a social media appeal.

Caravans were also reported stolen last year from a yard in Carrara and a family home in Mudgeeraba.

The thefts come as caravan dealers struggle to keep up with demand due to the increased popularity of domestic holidays and supply chain issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Buyers are also being targeted by scammers, who pose as legitimate businesses online and con people into sending them deposits.

Olivia Cameron from New Age Caravans in Arundel said her company was among those impersonated by scammers posting to online trading sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

“People are getting tricked, lured with images of vans that people don’t have,” Ms Cameron said. “They’re trying to get their bank details or a deposit from them.

“We’ve had scammers pretend to be our dealership and generate a fake invoice.

“We’ve then had the customer say, ‘look, I’ve put this $500 deposit down’ ... and then they show off the invoice and it’s not from our business.”

Although the waiting time for new caravans can be more than a year, Ms Cameron said she strongly urged people to be patient.

However, she said if people did want to buy a second-hand caravan, they could minimise the risks involved.

Mr Hutchins’ caravan has still not been found.

Ms Cameron said buyers should undergo a PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) check to ensure money was not owed or that the caravan had previously been written off.

She said her firm also offered a warranty on used caravans, similar to used car warranties, following an inspection.

Ms Cameron also urged existing owners to take precautions to help prevent theft, or help locate their stolen caravans quickly.

“We recommend our customers to buy DO35 lock pins for their hitch when they are unhooked from their caravan.

“We also fit Trackerwise trackers on to the chassis and inside hidden cabinetry of the caravans for our customers. That means they can track their caravan as soon as it moves.”

“Even if their caravan has been sitting for months it’s still got power running to the tracker.

“So if anyone dares move that caravan, the owner’s phone will send an alarm that their caravan is moving.”

Follow @keithjwoods