Sophisticated criminals driving major car fraud in Victoria
In an elaborate scam, criminals claiming to be in the armed forces have fooled a number of Victorians into buying second-hand cars that do not exist. Now police fear there could be many more potential victims.
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Sophisticated criminals have ripped off multiple Victorians with an elaborate online car scam, prompting police to set up a specialised taskforce to tackle the fraudsters.
The deceitful scammers — who claim to be in the armed forces — have fooled people into buying second-hand cars that do not exist, with fears there are many more potential victims.
Boroondara Crime Investigation Unit detectives have set up Operation Approbate to investigate the scam and have called in the Australian Federal Police to help track down the crooks behind it.
Eight known victims have been identified but there are fears the real number could be much higher.
Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Pollock said those involved in the racket were funnelling stolen funds to bank accounts in Romania and Poland.
“In internet-based offending, the tyranny of distance isn’t a problem,” Sen-Sgt Pollock said.
“If something is too good to be true, it probably is.
“We have a dedicated operation in place to investigate this scam and we won’t stop until we hold these people to account.”
The fraudsters have targeted those in the market for a second-hand car priced between $7000 and $10,000.
They offer their victims a fake ID of a female holding a Victorian driver’s licence during the transaction. Another hallmark of this scam is the victim being asked for payment into an escrow account, which police have traced to Romanian or Polish bank accounts.
Sen-Sgt Pollock said the scammers had targeted three well-known car sale platforms for a far cheaper than usual price.
The seller claims they are moving offshore for their work in the armed forces and need to quickly sell their car and claim the armed forces will transport the vehicle anywhere in Australia free of charge.
In Victoria, Operation Approbate has located eight victims from Knox, Casey, Keilor Downs, Gippsland and Maryborough over an 18-month period.
Police are encouraging people to physically inspect second-hand cars whenever possible while adhering to social distancing rules.
“Victims of scams often feel a sense of shame, that they should have known better,” Sen-Sgt Pollock said. “More and more people are turning to online shopping when buying a new car and we’re encouraging them to be mindful of the websites they visit.”