DANIA BEACH, Fla. – A Broward circle of relatives stuck up in a scam is paying the associated fee and making pricey maintenance after their automotive used to be significantly vandalized on Wednesday.
“It’s awfully frustrating,” mentioned Robert Vazquez. “We’re not rich.”
The scam seems to be a common downside, as Local 10 News has realized of a number of sufferers additionally stuck up in the center.
Vazquez mentioned a couple of hours sooner than his son’s automotive used to be vandalized with what seems to be a monkey wrench, two males knocked on his entrance door in Dania Beach.
They had been in search of keys to the auto, claiming they rented it on-line.
“The guy said ‘I was on Facebook and this car was for rent,’” recalled Vazquez. “‘We wanted to rent it. We gave a deposit of $250.’ My son said, ‘I’m sorry, but no, I’m not renting my car out. I have nothing to do with that.’”
As the dialog persevered, they discovered his son’s Audi S4 used to be, in truth, posted on Facebook Marketplace — with out their wisdom.
The two males left empty-handed, however two others returned a couple of hours later.
Surveillance video displays them having a look on the automotive and checking the registration code.
Minutes later, one guy grabs a monkey wrench and will get to paintings.
Local 10 News found out the pretend commercial used to be nonetheless posted 3 days later.
“My son tried to get in touch with Facebook. Nothing,” mentioned a annoyed Vazquez. “To tell them, ‘Get that out of there. You guys are becoming enablers for criminals to come over and post their crimes and you guys aren’t doing anything about it.’”
Just up the road in Dania Beach, Phyllis Urbine mentioned she is coping with the similar actual downside.
She mentioned she’s had overall strangers stroll as much as her house no less than seven other occasions in the previous few days.
They inform her they’ve rented her Mercedes on Facebook Marketplace and that they’re in search of a lockbox. Some had already paid the deposit.
“I say, ‘This is my car and it’s not for rent,’” mentioned Urbine. “I don’t think they believe me.”
She mentioned her neighbor has additionally been a sufferer of this scam and is concerned that is getting out of hand after the location now escalated to an it seems that violent false impression.
Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are on the lookout for the vandals however also are running other circumstances.
Local 10 News has reached out to Facebook/Meta for remark, as a few of these false commercials nonetheless stay on-line regardless of citizens looking to get them got rid of.
The investigation is energetic and ongoing. Anyone with information relating to this incident is requested to touch Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
If you could have been a sufferer of fraud, document it to the Federal Trade Commission.
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