The Commercial Crime Detective Unit is reporting that some individuals who order vehicles from abroad via the Internet are scamming potential buyers out of substantial sums of money.
In an interview with The Bahama Journal yesterday, Assistant Superintendent Drexel Cartwright, who is responsible for the commercial crime unit, said the purported salesmen have found an ingenious way to swindle money from customers without leaving a paper trail.
“For the past several years, on a weekly basis, we have cases reported involving car dealers who are a part of this scam. They seduce the victims into handing funds over to them to obtain vehicles,” Mr. Cartwright said.
“Some of them would purchase a vehicle for only one person and after they have received a certain amount of money, they would desist from purchasing vehicles and give the buyer an excuse any time they inquire about their vehicle.”
According to Mr. Cartwright, there is one alleged con artist in particular who has managed to defraud at least 10 persons in New Providence out of their money, since last month.
“We have had a number of cases reported-which involved the same individual,” Mr. Cartwright said.
“Sometimes he uses a second part to prevent the buyer from having to meet him face to face,” he explained. “So these persons wanting to purchase a vehicle, in most cases, would do anything, like bring the money instantly, but as soon as the funds are deposited into the salesperson’s account it is withdrawn and when that individual tries to catch up with the [car dealer]-he is nowhere to be found or the telephone number has changed.”
Michael Moxey, inspector of the Commercial Crime Unit told The Journal a search has been launched for a suspected con artist who is believed to have defrauded a number of individuals out of thousands of dollars.
Mr. Moxey said that a 24-year-old male resident of Blue Hill Road is reportedly preying on females looking to purchase a vehicle, by asking them to deposit the first installment on his personal bank account.
After the money is paid, said Mr. Moxey, the women never receive their car nor have their deposit returned.
“Police are now warning the public, particularly women, to be wary of this man,” Mr. Moxey said.
He said there are some tell tale signs that distinguish a genuine sales person from a “crook,” and noted some safety measures to take when purchasing from an Internet car dealer.
“Ensure that the individual has an established business and that once you have made a deposit that you are given a receipt and the signature on it is identifiable,” Mr. Moxey said.
CDU investigators said that women continue to be the primary targets.
The CDU intends to release a most wanted poster highlighting such notorious criminals later this month.
By: Royanne Forbes-Darville, The Bahama Journal
