Scammed and no help from police

[modhorat]

Hi

A friend of mine was selling his vehicle, a buyer came along, and agreed on a price, he's a newbie, the guy did an 'EFT', a few minutes later he got an SMS, like he normally gets from the bank, he handed over keys and log book, only to realise he's been scammed.

The only documentation he's got of his (the scammer's) is his "wife's" drivers licence copy

Only option is to report the car stolen, so he (the scammer) can't transfer the vehicle to his name

Goes to police station, they say you sold the car, and want to use us (the police) as debt collectors, they totally refusing to open a case (numerous attempts), Durban area.

What help can be find? Cops just won't open a case, thus cannot flag as stolen

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks in advance

 

[f2wohf]

Call NPA and ask NPA to speak to the police.

 

[Hemi300c]

Speak to the Station Commander

 

[R13...]

Or go directly to station commander. Could even tweet Mbalula seeing that he's active on social media

 

[reactor_sa]

*checks year, shrugs* 2017 and still falling for the EFT trick... WTF

 

[Venomous]

Call NPA and ask NPA to speak to the police.

Simply tell them the person(s) test driving the vehicle went off with it. And that yes, the friend was an idiot and the document was in the glovebox.

But he'll probably have to go to a different police station, coz they know him there now.

 

[RedViking]

Durban area

That is your key word, unfortunately they probably get 100 of cases a week like yours. Everyone in Durban knows you pay cash or nothing. That said, the police in KZN is as useful as a wet slice of bread and allot of them live off corruption.

 

[supersunbird]

Maybe he should lay charge of fraud? What is the correct name for such a charge?

 

[Praemon]

Regardless of how common the scam is, I cannot understand how the police would not be willing to open a case on this, as it's clearly fraud. Makes me angry when I see posts like this and the police couldn't be bothered to do their job. Make sure your friend keeps pushing on this. Speak to the station commander, and also see if you can't get your local ward councillor involved, as they might be able to help too.

 

[RedViking]

Regardless of how common the scam is, I cannot understand how the police would not be willing to open a case on this, as it's clearly fraud. Makes me angry when I see posts like this and the police couldn't be bothered to do their job. Make sure your friend keeps pushing on this. Speak to the station commander, and also see if you can't get your local ward councillor involved, as they might be able to help too.

This is the attitude of the police in KZN. People have learned not to rely on the them. In some areas or towns they are worse than the 'criminals' .

 

[supersunbird]

Regardless of how common the scam is, I cannot understand how the police would not be willing to open a case on this, as it's clearly fraud. Makes me angry when I see posts like this and the police couldn't be bothered to do their job. Make sure your friend keeps pushing on this. Speak to the station commander, and also see if you can't get your local ward councillor involved, as they might be able to help too.

Probably because he is trying to lay the wrong charge, theft of vehicle, which it wasn’t.

 

[RedViking]

Probably because he is trying to lay the wrong charge, theft of vehicle, which it wasn’t.

So then they must help him right. It is theft. That's not the problem. This is just they way they are. The cancer goes deep.

 

[airborne]

Poor dude, can imagine he can't afford to take it on the chin. Chances of recovery of the vehicle or catching of the perp is slim but at least make sure the car is hot property, ie cant be registered etc.

What paperwork or sale agreement was given to the "buyer"?

The best option is probably to open a case of theft, that the buyer drove off with the vehicle without paying, forget about the fraud that'll just complicate things and slow it down, the guy stole the vehicle fair and square, cops will be more open to a case of theft and that will make them proactive, ie they will impound the vehicle if it's found/stopped at a roadblock. Just make sure the story is plain and simple, guy wanted to test the engine, sat in the drivers seat and then just drove off, you have to work with what you have, ie a clueless and probably corrupt local police force, playing it by the book won't help in that instance.

If you open a fraud case then there's endless he said she said bs and the cops will probably not pursue it, nevermind impound the vehicle, good old possession is 9 tenths of the law in play.