A Moscow car-dealing incident has come to light in which a pensioner was relieved of 150,000 rubles through a deceptive scheme tied to a mirror chip in the vehicle he bought from a friend. The information was shared by the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office on its Telegram channel.
Officials say a man in a Toyota spotted an elderly driver behind the wheel of a Nissan, followed him after the Nissan was parked, and pressed for immediate payment on the grounds of an alleged accident. In the course of the ruse, the suspect also contacted body shops to obtain quotes for repairs, leveraging the purported damage of the mirror to justify his demand. The suspect’s Toyota allegedly contained the feature that signaled the alleged incident, a chip in the mirror frame that became part of the fraud narrative.
According to investigators, the fraudster presented evidence of damage to the victim’s vehicle mirror and insisted on prompt compensation. In reality, law enforcement confirmed that the Toyota belonged to the fraudster’s friend and there was no involvement of the Nissan in any collision with the elder driver’s car.
The pensioner traveled home to fetch funds and handed over 70,000 rubles, after which the suspect escorted him to a bank where the elder was given an additional 80,000 rubles. The total loss amounted to 150,000 rubles, a figure that underscores the ease with which a pretense of car-related damage can be weaponized against unsuspecting motorists.
Authorities have charged a 46-year-old man with fraud in connection with the case. The incident highlights the vulnerability of elderly drivers to automobile-related scams and the importance of verifying any claims of accident involvement before transferring money or revealing sensitive financial information.
In related news from Kaliningrad, a separate incident involved a welder who inadvertently caused a fire while servicing a Skoda Rapid customer. The case illustrates how claims of vehicle damage can emerge in various contexts and how quickly financial exchanges can follow perceived automotive faults.