There have always been scams all over the world. And the car is obviously not an exception to this problem, although every day drivers fall into the hands of fraudsters. In particular, it is worth mentioning the well-known gold scam, which consists in making people believe in a break down and demand a sum of money in exchange for gold jewelry, which turned out to be fake. But unfortunately, this is not the only danger that we can all face when taking our car. Indeed, another scam has recently become very popular, especially in Brazil. This is known as the “mirror shot” and seems to be spreading across the country.
Beware of rear-view mirror shock: some tips to avoid being scammed https://t.co/TpvGbuaDaK pic.twitter.com/ODA6hDeBdM
– Voice of the North (@lavoixdunord) April 5, 2019
A very simple principle
In fact, this scam targeting motorists couldn’t be more simple and well-known. Indeed, thieves on a scooter target a moving or parked car and approach it until tap the rearview mirror to fold it. The car driver then opens the window to put it back in place. It is at this time that an accomplice comes and attacks the latter in order to extort money from him. Police have been notified, but say they don’t have much information about these crimes. They then advise drivers to drive with their windows down, not to wear jewelery while driving and to avoid driving at night.
@pcky17 modus baru #fyp #fypdonggggggg ♬ suara asli – liyan.ks
Not yet in France
This type of aggression seems to be limited to Brazil at the moment. But this is not without reminding us of another type of impact of the rear-view mirror, well known to us, although it is less severe. Indeed, the scammer makes the victim believe that she broke the mirror of his car. He then pretends to call the latter’s insurer, but at the end of the line it’s actually an accomplice. The latter then tells the elderly person that she should not fill out the report and that she should reimburse the cost of the repairs immediately. To convince the victim, the scammer makes her believe that a law has been passed that forces the latter to undergo a medical examination if the victim is elderly. In the event of a claim, his license will be revoked. After that, the victim should contact directly a distributor return the money to pay for the repairs in cash, and the scammer assures her that she will receive a refund later.
Beware of this spreading scam: beware of the rear-view mirror! https://t.co/4YA82myGNo
— Sudinfo.be (@sudinfo_be) April 10, 2019
Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.