Two people, including a 17-year-old boy, were arrested in connection with an auto scam ring believed to be run by Romanian nationals that targeted people across California, including San Luis Obispo County.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s reports the arrests came after detectives stopped a vehicle back on April 3 on Highway 101 near Highway 166.
The 37-year-old, 17-year-old and 11-year-old in the vehicle had been seen trying to buy a car at a home in Arroyo Grande earlier in the day, according to a sheriff’s press release.
Authorities say inside the vehicle, detectives found a nearly empty bottle of engine oil and a gallon jug that also had some engine oil in it, leading detectives to believe the three people were involved in what’s being called the “Oil in the Engine” scam.
“That's where a scammer pretends to be a buyer and contacts a seller on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. They arrange to inspect and test-drive the vehicle. Often, the scammer will bring along 2-3 others posing as friends or mechanics. While one person distracts the seller, another secretly pours oil on the engine. During the test drive, the engine starts smoking, making it seem like the car has a serious problem. The scammer then offers a very low price, hoping the seller, now worried about expensive repairs, will agree to sell the car for far less than its actual value,” the press release stated.
Between Nov. 21 of last year and March 22 of this year, the sheriff’s office states there have been more than 20 of these types of scams reported in San Luis Obispo County. The estimated loss is valued at around $60,000.
One of the men was identified as Alexandru Florea, 37, of La Puenta. He was arrested on suspicion of charges that include conspiracy to commit a crime, tampering with a vehicle and obtaining money by false pretenses.
The 17-year-old was taken to juvenile hall and the 11-year-old turned over to Child Welfare Services, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office says tips from people in the community helped lead to the recent arrests, stating after first issuing a press release on the scam back in March, asking any other potential victims to come forward, more than 20 calls came in with information authorities say helped them in their investigation.
