Pricey Mercedes-Benz Maybach swiped in Miami after system hacked
MIAMI - A South Florida delivery service said a high-end, luxury vehicle ended up in the wrong hands after a costly hack over the weekend.
A 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS600 Maybach valued at $200,000 is at the center of the theft.
It all started Sunday when a delivery team dropped off the high-priced ride in Miami to what they believed was the car's owner. However, the Palm Beach County-based auto delivery company said they were fooled, and the wrong person now has the expensive vehicle.
The company, Dealership Choice Auto Transport of West Palm Beach, specializes in moving luxury vehicles.
"It's a simple process. The dealership calls you up and asks for the information, where we're picking up from and where we're delivering to," CEO Steven Yariv said. "All of our dealers, in particular, we ask that the drivers leave their driver's license and ask that our drivers take a fingerprint of all the drivers."
Yariv said his driver followed all of the necessary steps on Sunday before handing the keys over to the man they thought was the owner of the Maybach.
"The criminal actually hacked into the driver's portal and knew what vehicles were being transported and knew what was going on," Yariv said.
Instead of the vehicle being delivered to a Hollywood address, it was rerouted to Miami.
"The thief happened to reach out to the driver acting as if he was the receiving party. He gave him all the right information and told him where the car was supposed to go," Yariv said.
The delivery team said they were tipped off that something was wrong once they sent pictures confirming the drop-off.
"He stood behind, not realizing that the driver was taking pictures of the car on delivery, and there is he right there in the background, full body," Yariv said. "You can see his face and everything."
Incredibly, the team at Dealers Choice said this was not the last time they've heard from the thief.
"Ignorantly, he's actually texting us, trying to tease us, make a joke, saying, 'Oh, your car's in Dubai or maybe somewhere in Europe already,'" Yariv said.
The company is now offering a $20,000 reward in the case.
"It's very frustrating," Yariv said. "This is something we try to deal with every day to protect our clients and the people. We're one of the largest transport carriers and brokers in the country. It's a battle every day."
Anyone with information on the location of the car or the person who stole it is urged to call the Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-8477.
