Thieves Selling Stolen Cars On Craigslist Then Stealing Them Back
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Police are calling it a new phenomenon in crime. Stolen cars are showing up on Craigslist. They're sold and then stolen again. CBS13 has more on this new scheme.
Police put out warnings about a number of Craigslist crimes, but this one takes a new twist.
"It's a new phenomenon for us," said Officer Laura Peck of the Sacramento Police Dept.
Two cars were stolen, sold online, and then stolen again, making a double profit for the car thieves.
Police say the cars were stolen months ago. On Sunday night they were both sold through Craigslist; one in Oak Park and the other in South Sacramento. The suspects then returned to these neighborhoods and stole the cars again.
"The two cases are very similar and they are going to be investigated as being related," said Peck.
The suspect descriptions also match up. The Craigslist ads, which are apparently still online, offered the cars for a very low price, prompting police once again to warn online shoppers that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
"Anyone who's looking to buy a vehicle and not doing it from a dealer, they should confirm the license plate and last four digits of the VIN to ensure that they match," said Peck.
Both of the stolen cars have now been located and have been returned to the original owners. The second set of victims, the buyers, are out of luck in this case.
Police are reviewing other stolen car reports to see if there are more victims out there.
