What to Know
- A fake mechanic conned nearly $2,000 from a man in Queens, police say
- The victim claims the man approached him and said there was something wrong with his rear hubcap then handed him $1,700 to fix it
- After the faux mechanic took the money, he left in a Chevrolet Suburban; the victim soon discovered there was nothing wrong with the car
Police are looking for the phony mechanic they say conned nearly $2,000 out of a man walking out of a supermarket in Queens.
The victim, who asked for his identity not to be revealed, told News 4 that he was leaving the store in Oakland Gardens on July 19 when the grifter approached and said there was something wrong with his rear hubcap.
“He says ‘oh, there’s something with your hubcap. If you drive it’s going to blow off,’” he said. “Unfortunately, I went to the bank and withdrew large sums of money.”
The man told News 4 he pulled the money out because he was worried about his safety. But when the faux mechanic asked him if he was trying to memorize his license plates, he began to suspect something was off.
After the mechanic took the money, he left in a Chevrolet Suburban. His victim, meanwhile, soon discovered that there was actually never anything wrong with the car, even though he spent a whopping $1,700 for the grifter’s help.
“I just can't believe I was that gullible,” he said. “Normally, I have very good judgment.”
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The victim says that he is sharing his message to help catch the man and to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“You want to make money, you want to make a good living, do it the right way,” he said. “Don’t scam people like that.”
