He tampered with car meters and sold them on Leboncoin

A 37-year-old man was arrested in the Val-d'Oise in mid-July following the discovery of a used car scam that he had carried out on numerous occasions.

The crook was not confined to his home region

The man had time to kill dozens of people across the country before he was arrested by police in Emont, Val-d'Oise, following a months-long investigation into the suspect's activities.

The investigation was launched after a complaint was lodged at the beginning of the year by a second-hand car buyer who had discovered the scam: the speedometer on the car he had just bought had been tampered with, meaning that what it was reading was far lower than what it really was. However, investigators quickly identified a suspect who had already been arrested for car trafficking, according to a source involved in the investigation. And the police were right. Between August 2018 and April 2019, the man had carried out dozens of scams.

The fraudster had a job in the automotive sector

The fraudster was employed (but undeclared) by a company specialising in the rental of luxury vehicles in Franconville. His main task? To buy and sell vehicles from the company's rental fleet. It was this status that gave him the cover he needed to perpetrate his larcenies. In fact, he never hesitated to meet his victims on the premises of the company that employed him, making it much easier for him to gain the trust of buyers quickly and easily.

A scam worth hundreds of thousands of euros

Investigators identified no fewer than 53 victims spread across the country, notably by analysing all the adverts and their status that the fraudster had posted on the classified ad site, as well as his calls, text messages and emails. The police were able to assess the total loss at €388,000.

The suspect was already in prison

To make matters worse, it turns out that the swindler was already behind bars... for another case! He was questioned by investigators and admitted the facts before being brought before the Pontoise public prosecutor's office. The investigators are continuing their work and expect to come up with new "surprises".

How can you protect yourself from the odometer scam and secure your second-hand car purchase?

We have already written an article on the subject of odometer scams, which we invite you to read. It will not only give you information on the technique used by scammers, but also tips and advice on how to avoid it.

As far as the transaction is concerned, it is essential to use a secure payment solution that allows you to keep an unfalsifiable record of the transaction. Obvy, a payment method specially designed for purchases and sales of goods and services between private individuals, gives you all the information you need about the seller, as well as verification of their identity, before the transaction. This way, in the event of an unpleasant surprise, you can turn around quickly while benefiting from real proof of the transaction, its origin and the parties involved.