Clever Police Trap Busts Turo Scammers Who Sold Rented Cars on Craigslist

The good part about Turo is that you can make money by renting your car to a complete stranger. The bad part about Turo is that you’re renting your car to a complete stranger, which always comes with a certain degree of uncertainty. Law enforcement officials in California recently arrested two people suspected of renting cars on Turo and selling them on Craigslist with forged titles and other legit-looking documents to unsuspecting buyers.

Police officers in Corona, California, launched the investigation after someone who purchased one of the stolen cars reached out about the scam, a press release by the agency explains. The victim found a car for sale on Craigslist, reached out to the seller, and ultimately paid $23,000 for it after reportedly “reviewing what appeared to be legitimate DMV paperwork at a local bank.” The forged documents must have been pretty convincing to fool a bank.

The victim worked with the Corona Police Department’s Investigative Services Division to track down the seller and spotted a similar online ad for a different car. Police officers then set up a trap: They made an appointment with the seller to see the vehicle in person and arrested him on the spot. As expected, the car that he was trying to sell was also rented on Turo and the registration documents were also forged.

“Our investigators arranged a meeting with the suspect. And, as it turned out, he had another rental car that he had already set up with a fake title, license plates, and identification to sell,” Corona Police Sergeant Robert Montanez told local news channel ABC7.

Police officers say that the suspect had an active felony warrant for conspiracy and auto theft. They also arrested a second suspect who had a felony warrant for trafficking stolen vehicles. Both men face multiple felony charges, including conspiracy, auto theft, and fraud.

Law enforcement officials say the suspects live in Phoenix, Arizona, but have ties to the Southern California area. They also believe that there might be more victims out there, so reach out to your local police department if you think you’ve been scammed. And, the Corona Police Department urges everyone to verify a car’s documents with the DMV before paying the seller or signing a purchase agreement.

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