End the Mobile Mechanic Scammers

If there’s a popular scam among those with no marketable skillset it’s the mobile mechanic ruse.

‘Operators place online ads with Craigslist, Facebook and other sites not known for checking credentials. With no staff, no license and no insurance, scammers instead rely on convincing lies, designed to get gullible callers to believe that they a] know what they’re doing and b] can repair your vehicle for hundreds less than a licensed, bonded, insured [and capable] mobile mechanic.

Like most criminals, they have an M.O. [Modus Operandi] which is the list of tools they use to scam unsuspecting clientele out of their hard-earned money — and it’s based, not surprisingly, on first gaining the trust of their intended victims.

One important aspect of the scammer’s toolkit involves the use of false reviews. A cursory review of the online ‘consumers’ raving about the wonderful services offered by these individuals is paramount in getting new clientele to the table — an absolute ‘must’ if one is going to find a veritable unending pool of unsuspecting consumers to defraud.

Here, for your convenience, is a list of the ‘red flags’ one will generally encounter when dealing with scam artists.

• No Verifiable License in the Business Name
• No Verifiable Insurance
• No Verifiable Bond
• No Verifiable Reviews
• No Verifiable Business Telephone
• No Verifiable Bank Accounts/Zelle Only
• No Signage at Business
• No Office Staff
• No Professional/Written Estimate
• No Reliable Scope of Work
• Failed Attempts to Do the Work/Keep Appointments
• Poor or Nonexistent Communications
• Dropped [as a Client] Following Payment

This is not a new scam. ‘Chop Shops’ still exist and insurance companies tell stories of the most blatant forms of auto theft imaginable. Fraud is on the rise and the mobile mechanic ruse is one form of scam that’s easy to facilitate and difficult to prosecute because these are scall scale scams, accomplished in small enough denominations — and often even a cash basis — to evade detection for longer periods of time.

Remember: You’re dealing with thugs. It’s not prudent to get into a face-off with someone who steals for a living. In many cases, they know you, your name and your home address. Why force a confrontation?

Instead, report this as you would any other crime that involves theft. Check on their licenses, their insurance and their bond. Talk to the licensing department in the county in which they’re located. When posting truthful reviews, refrain from identifying yourself or even any mechanical issue which could lead to the perpetrator identifying you as the person posting negative remarks.

Reach out to the entity posting positive reviews as they’re part of the scam. Don’t be surprised to discover they have no telephone numbers themselves and only a mailing address for you to voice your complaint. Concentrate on exposing their phony reviews online so that others might not be defrauded.

This is the age of AI — there are computers churning out phony reviews by the millions. Tackle this as you would any scam targeting thousands of unsuspecting consumers because that’s what it is.