Warnings of fake repo men stealing cars from driveways spread like crazy after a Mercedes that was paid off was taken by a tow truck in the San Fernando Valley. However, it turned out to be a big misunderstanding. Still, had it been a true theft situation it wouldn’t have been the first of its kind.
Guy pulls a gun on the repo man and instantly regrets it.
The silver 2014 Mercedes-Benz S500 was taken from the family’s driveway by a tow truck in the middle of the night. Since it was paid off, they were puzzled. At first it appeared someone was posing as a repo company to swipe vehicles, but a Los Angeles Police Department investigation uncovered the repo men were in fact legit, reports Fox 11.
Did they get the wrong car? Did the repo agents go rogue? It turns out the person who owned the Merecedes before the family didn’t finish paying it off. How the lien against the title wasn’t noted at the transfer of ownership isn’t clear, but this sort of thing does slip through the cracks sometimes.
Once it was established that the family should still have the S500, it was returned to them by the repo company. Still, that scare was probably enough to shave at least a few months off their life.
Like we said before, we’ve seen an uptick in thieves using tow trucks to steal cars. It’s the perfect crime since they can pose as a repo man or just someone picking up a vehicle to take to a service shop. Most don’t question the actions of a two truck.
Sometimes the thieves steal a two truck, then use it to boost several cars before ditching it. Other times thieves buy a tow truck, don’t register it, then use it repeatedly to swipe vehicles. There have even been cases of some tow truck drivers stealing cars on the side for some extra cash.
Thankfully this story has a happy ending.
Image via Fox 11
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