Leboncoin scam: €16,500 stolen during an Audi purchase ambush
A man was ambushed in March. He went to Villeneuve-la-Garenne in the Hauts-de-Seine department, thinking he would be able to buy the car he had spotted earlier on the classified ads website Leboncoin. But not everything turned out as he had hoped. On the way to the meeting place, the man was ambushed and robbed of €16,500. Here's a look back at the case.
Used Audi sold on classified ads website Leboncoin
This case between private individuals dates back to March. A resident of the Gironde region visited the Leboncoin classified ads website, hoping to find a car matching his search criteria. The man finally spotted an Audi for sale in an advert on Leboncoin. He was very interested in the car and decided to send a message to the seller. The two exchanged views on the car and arranged to meet on Friday 12 March 2021 to hand it over in person.
The buyer decided to travel by train to Villeneuve-la-Garenne in Hauts-de-Seine on the Bordeaux-Paris line. He took 16,000 euros in cash with him so that he could pay the seller quickly and collect the car. The buyer asked a friend to accompany him so that he would not be alone during the journey and the transaction.
16,500 euros stolen by hooded men
The man and his friend then went to the meeting place, where they met the seller at Montparnasse station at the end of the day. The seller had come with the vehicle to offer it for exchange as originally planned. The transaction was due to take place in Paris, but the seller informed the two friends that he had forgotten the spare keys to the car. The two men got into the back of the car they had come to buy and were driven to a car park in Villeneuve-la-Garenne.
On the spot, the buyer asks to test drive the car, which the seller accepts. But when the time came to complete the transaction, things didn't go according to plan. The two friends were waiting patiently at the back of the car when they were violently dragged out by hooded men. Thrown to the ground, they were then threatened in the temple by the hooded men with a handgun. They were then beaten up and the buyer had his pockets emptied by the criminals. Unfortunately for him, he had 500 euros in cash in addition to the 6,000 euros for the Audi. The thieves quickly drove off in the Audi, never to be seen again.
Police find the seller of the Audi
However, the police managed to find the driver of the car. During the trial, the driver explained that he was not behind the ambush as he had been forced into it by "a local bigwig". The seller's lawyer then stated that he was merely a decoy and was in no way the mastermind behind the affair. The Audi was found at his home and searched, along with €5,970. The seller of the Audi was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment, 6 months of which were suspended. He will have to compensate the two friends who were the victims of this ambush for moral and physical injury.
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It is never advisable to use cash for a transaction between private individuals, especially when a large amount is involved. In fact, you could be the victim of a transaction carried out with counterfeit notes without realising it, or as in this case, you could easily have your cash stolen by criminals who will take advantage of the fact that you have some with you.
That's why it's vital these days to use a secure payment method like Obvy, which helps you avoid any scams between individuals thanks to its secure payment system for buying and selling goods and services by hand and delivery. With Obvy, good deals and your security are guaranteed!