Fraud For
Vehicle Extortion On The Rise
Defrauding victims of extortion to return
stolen vehicles is the new crime modality in
Costa Rica, as professional fraud artists
have joined forces with extortionists and "robacarros"
(car thieves), with the sole intent of
defrauding the extorted ransom from owners
of stolen vehicles.
According to information released by the
Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ),
in San José alone some 10 vehicles daily are
stolen, half of which are the focus of
attention by the robacarros, using the "bajonazo"
(gun point) method.
Working with extortionists and fraud
artists, they set out to contact the owner
of the stolen victim and then get cash from
them on the promise of returning their
vehicle, which never occurs.
Following San José are the areas of
Coronado, Santa Ana and Heredia where
statistics show a high number of vehicle
thefts.
The OIJ says it has its sights on several
groups operating in San José, groups that
learn all they can about their intended
victims, with the intent of extorting from
them a ransom once the vehicle is stolen,
but with no intention of ever returning the
vehicle.
The ransom can range from 400.000 to more
than 1 million colones, depending on the
type of vehicle and the victim, an amount
that is not too high or out reach for the
victim.
However, Judicial officials say that in many
cases the extortion has been just another
scam to strip the owners of the vehicles of
their cash and never return the ransomed
vehicle.
Francisco Segura, sub-director of the OIJ,
advises never to negotiate with the
extortionists and to call authorities as
soon as possible.
Segura added that in some cases, the
extortionists have asked owners of stolen
vehicles to deposit a sum of money into a
bank account, which information can then be
traced by judicial authorities.
Segura said that the majority of victims of
car theft and extortion attempt to recover
their vehicle without the help of police,
which, according to the OIJ director, makes
the job of car thieves and extortionists
much easier.
The gangs of car thieves involved in
extortion generally focus on late model
luxury vehicles, vehicles that can be easily
"gemeladas" (twinned) or chopped up for
parts are target. SUV's are sought by car
thieves for their popularity. Vehicles like
Toyotas and Hyundai's are popular among car
thieves for their value in used car parts.
According to police, the thieves usually
pick out a particular vehicle and then set
out to steal it. They wait for an
opportunity for the owner of the vehicle to
let down their guard, leaving the garage
door open or car unlocked, for instance or
take to following their intended victim,
stopping the vehicle at gun point.
Owners can take precautions by securily
locking their vehicles at all times, parking
the vehicle in a secure location like a
parking lot and be constantly aware if being
followed.
If your a victim of vehicle theft or
bajonazo, call 911 to report the crime. |
