Category Archives: Topics

This Cuyahoga Falls Odometer Scam Looks Like Something Straight Out of Matilda

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A Cuyahoga Falls man was indicted on multiple felony charges on Thursday for defrauding car buyers by selling high-milage vehicles on Craigslist after he had rolled back their odometers. Sounds a lot like the Danny DeVito character from the 1996 film Matilda, no? 35-year-old Shannon G. Payne was indicted on six counts of tampering with records and single counts of theft, forgery, and identity fraud reported 19 Action News. The charges involve three instances in which Payne is accused of purchasing vehicles on Craigslist and having the owner assign the title to him. He also used fake power-of-attorney forms and solicited the notary services of his wife in order to obtain replacement titles, after which he rigged the odometers in the vehicles to reflect a lower mileage. Payne’s wife was not charged in the case, but she has surrendered her notary commission. Original Article: http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2013/06/28/3593236-this-cuyahoga-falls-odometer-scam-looks-like-something-straight-out-of-the-movie-matilda

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Two arrested for odometer tampering scam

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The DMV announced the arrests of two men in Fresno in connection with dozens of cases of odometer tamping. 24-year-old Murad Alrawashdeh and 20-year-old Rami Alrawashdeh and another suspect altered the vehicle certificates, rolled odometers back on the cars and then sold them on the Craigslist website. The DMV was alerted when someone registered a car with much less mileage than had been shown on previous registrations, leading to a 10-month investigation. During the investigation, it was discovered that the men had listed over 180 cars in a 15-month period on Craigslist. A search warrant was served on June 13th that turned up odometer clusters, cash, computers and ledgers that detailed each vehicle sold. Investigators say the ledgers show 212 vehicles with altered odometers were sold, making a profit of approximately $296,000 in a 2 1/2 year period. A warrant is still outstanding on a third suspect, 30-year-old Atef Alrawashdeh. Original Article: http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Two-arrested-for-odometer-tampering-scam/jwJuiiuqm0yDzotyWttyKQ.cspx

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Cuyahoga Falls: BMW Investigations/ Cuyahoga Falls Police

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AKRON, OH (WOIO) – A Cuyahoga Falls man who defrauded car buyers by selling high-mileage vehicles on Craigslist after rolling back the odometers was indicted on multiple felony charges on Thursday, June 27, 2013, by a Summit County grand jury. Shannon G. Payne, 35, who also is a registered sex offender, was indicted on six counts of tampering with records and single counts of theft, forgery and identity fraud following an investigation by BMV Investigations and Cuyahoga Falls police. The charges involve three transactions in which Payne is accused of buying vehicles on Craigslist and having the owner assign the title to him. The investigation found that Payne subsequently used falsified power-of-attorney forms – utilizing the notary services of his wife, Carrianne Payne, to obtain replacement titles – after which he swapped out the odometers in the vehicles to reflect a lower mileage. Carrianne Payne was not charged in the case, but she has surrendered her notary commission. BMV Investigations has identified other apparent victims of this scheme. They can contact BMV Investigator Robert Gallo at (440) 845-1850. Copyright 2013 WOIO. All rights reserved. Original Article: http://www.19actionnews.com/story/22715758/cuyahoga-falls-man-indicted-in-odometer-rollback-scam

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Fresno Men Busted for Odometer Tampering

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By KMJ News Two Fresno men have been arrested for allegedly selling cars with false odometer readings. Investigators say 20 year old Rami Alrawashdeh and 24 year old Murad Alrawashdeh rolled back the odometer readings on more that 200 cars over a two and a half year period and sold them for a profit of $296,000 dollars. The two men were taken into custody earlier this week and are facing charges of grand theft and vehicle odometer tampering. Authorities are searching for a third suspect in connection with the case. Original Article: http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/landing?blockID=695707

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Mercedes-Benz pays $260k in Wis. lemon law case

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Mercedes-Benz USA LLC has paid out another $260,000 in a long-running lemon law case. Attorney Vince Megna sued the company in 2005 on behalf of a Waukesha businessman who purchased a defective sedan. The state Supreme Court last year upheld a $482,000 judgment against the company. Megna argued the company owed interest that had accrued during the case’s court journey and Mercedes-Benz paid $618,000. On Tuesday a Waukesha County judge ordered the company to pay attorney fees and costs totaling $259,536. The company cut a check dated the same day. Wisconsin’s lemon law allows consumers who win civil lawsuits to be awarded twice the amount of monetary losses, along with costs and attorney fees. Republican legislators have introduced a bill that would cap damages at actual loss. Original Article: http://www.news8000.com/news/mercedesbenz-pays-260k-in-wis-lemon-law-case/-/326/20666828/-/116nbj7/-/index.html

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U.S. Dept Justice: Used Motor Vehicle Dealers Indicted in Philadelphia for Odometer Tampering

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A federal grand jury in Philadelphia unsealed an indictment yesterday charging Kyle Novitsky, 45, and Judith Aloe, 52, both of North Miami Beach, Fla., with making false odometer statements, securities fraud and conspiracy to commit these offenses, the Justice Department announced today. According to the indictment, as early as 2004, and through at least 2010, the defendants devised a scheme to defraud buyers of used motor vehicles by misrepresenting the mileage of approximately 247 vehicles they sold. As part of the scheme, the indictment charges that Novitsky and Aloe purchased high-mileage, used motor vehicles in Florida, California and elsewhere from a national vehicle leasing company.   The defendants are charged with conspiring to alter the odometers in these vehicles to reflect false, lower mileage. The indictment alleges that Novitsky and Aloe then fraudulently altered the motor vehicle titles and sales documentation associated with these vehicles to reflect the false, lower mileage. As a result, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued motor vehicle titles reflecting this false, low er mileage, which the defendants knew to be untrue. Novitsky and Aloe subsequently sold the motor vehicles at wholesale automobile auctions in Manheim, Pa., and elsewhere, and provided to the buyers Pennsylvania titles bearing the lower false mileage. The indictment alleges that in some instances, the true mileage of the vehicle was greater than 100,000 miles more than what the title indicated, and as a result of selling the vehicles with false, lower mileages, the defendants received higher sales prices for the vehicles they sold. “Mileage information is important for consumers to assess the value and safety of the vehicles they purchase,” said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice.   “Automobile purchases are one of the biggest investments consumers make, and false odometer statements can cause the buyers … Continue Reading

Raleigh man pleads guilty to odometer fraud

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A North Raleigh man pleaded guilty Thursday to tampering with the odometer of cars he sold and charging buyers far more than the vehicles were really worth.  Francis Tendayi Marimo, 39, was arrested in February 2012 and charged with change of mileage violations, obtaining property by false pretenses and acting as a dealer without a license. He will be sentenced some time in September. Federal agents started investigating Marimo after local car buyers realized the mileage on their vehicles wasn’t right. He pleaded guilty to two instances, one in which he rolled back the odometer by 100,000 miles. Investigators have said they believe he was involved in many more cases between 2008 and 2012. The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends these tips for buyers of used cars: Ask to see the title and compare the mileage on it with the vehicle’s odometer. Examine the title closely if the mileage notation seems obscured or is not easy to read. Compare the mileage on the odometer with the mileage on the vehicle’s maintenance or inspection records. Search for oil change and maintenance stickers on windows or door frames, in the glove box or under the hood. Examine the tires. If the odometer on the car shows 20,000 or less, it should have the original tires. Look at the wear and tear on the vehicle – especially the gas, brake and clutch pedals – to be sure it seems consistent with and appropriate for the number of miles displayed on the odometer. Request a Carfax Vehicle History Report to check for odometer discrepancies in the vehicle’s history. If the seller does not have a vehicle history report, use the car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to order a Carfax vehicle history report online.

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Car buyer cries fraud after discovering odometer has been rolled back

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Keisy Fernandez poses with her 2006 Chrysler 300C outside her home on Friday, April 5, 2013. Fernandez purchased the vehicle at Affordable Motors in Miami. The odometer read 56,447 miles at the time of purchase, but was found to actually have 186,000 miles according to a vehicle summary report made by the Chevy dealership this past February. A few months later, she wanted to upgrade and another dealership offered to buy the car from her. But when that company ran a check on the car’s history, there was a problem. Fernandez’s odometer had been rolled back. When she purchased the car in April 2012 from Affordable Motors, the odometer showed 56,447 miles. That turned out to be untrue. The actual mileage was 187,677, miles at the time Fernandez purchased it. Affordable Motors said it has nothing to do with the mileage discrepancy. “There was a problem before us,” said Affordable Motors owner Felisberto “Felix” Sanchez. “The problem was not us. She’s probably right, but the problem was with a previous out of town dealer.” Sanchez said he runs checks on all his vehicles and nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the Chrysler he sold to Fernandez. Odometer fraud is a national problem, but consumers can take steps to protect themselves. In Fernandez’s case, she did not see her vehicle’s Carfax. The Carfax would have provided a history report for her Chrysler including any possible odometer discrepancies. “If I could do it again, I would absolutely make sure I see the Carfax first.” Federal law requires the vehicle seller to certify to the best or his or her knowledge that the odometer reflects the actual mileage, or that the seller knows there is an odometer discrepancy, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On Sanchez’s certificate of title from … Continue Reading

Odometer fraud worries FRCA

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Most secondhand imported vehicles odometers have been tampered with when compared against its irrespective declared cancellation certificate mileage. This was revealed after a thorough investigation conducted by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) in Nadi, Lautoka and Suva “We are clear that the odometers have been tampered with and consumers need to keep a look out,” said FRCA chief executive Jitoko Tikolevu. “The odometer readings have been reduced significantly to encourage consumers to buy the vehicles and we found that there is a big gap from the country of origin of the vehicle compared to the readings being showed here,” he said. He said odometer fraud is a serious threat to car buyers because they may be burdened with having to pay extra cash for the vehicle, additional insurance costs, additional maintenance costs and the vehicle safety. “When buying vehicles consumers need to ensure they demand for a cancellation certificate from dealers to verify the readings on the odometer.” He also confirmed that FIRCA is working closely with the Land Transport Authority in providing superior services to the public. By Mereani Gonedua Orignal Article: http://www.fijilive.com/news/2013/04/odometer-fraud-worries-frca/53544.Fijilive  

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High-Tech Thieves Use New Gadget To Gain Keyless Access To Vehicles In Long Beach

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LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying three tech-savvy criminals wanted for a series of car burglaries in which they used an unknown device to gain keyless entry to vehicles. The men are accused of breaking into seven vehicles in an East Long Beach neighborhood on the night of Feb. 26, according to Long Beach police. The suspects were caught on surveillance using small handled devices that caused “the vehicle’s dome light to come on and doors to unlock,” Det. Joseph Starbird said in a news release. FULL SURVEILLANCE VIDEO Police believe there could be several other victims who were also burglarized without their knowledge. The LBPD’s Auto Theft Detail has been working with law enforcement agencies nationally and internationally, as well as vehicle manufacturers, to identify the type of technology being used. Thus far, no agency or company has been able to identify the device. “This is a situation where technology is working against us, making our job much more challenging at a time where resources are already strained. Just as law enforcement tactics evolve, so does the criminal element’s and we need the community’s involvement more so than ever,” stated Chief Jim McDonnell. Police recommend residents remove valuables and extra keys from vehicles and install motion lights outside of their homes. Anyone with information on the suspects or their identity should contact Det. Starbird at (562)570-7362. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or visiting http://www.lacrimestoppers.org. Orignal Article: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/04/04/high-tech-thiefs-use-new-gadget-to-gain-keyless-access-to-vehicles-in-long-beach/

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