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Fake repo men stealing cars in San Fernando Valley
Crews posing as repo men are stealing cars in the San Fernando Valley in broad daylight, as onlookers think the operation is legitimate.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - To neighbors, it looked like a legit repo.
A tow truck shows up, parks in front of a silver 2014 Mercedez S550 in Sylmar.
A man gets out from a second vehicle, taking photos of the car, waving paperwork and signaling to the tow truck driver as if saying "yeah, this is the car we are supposed to pick up."
In less than 2 minutes, it's over, with the tow truck taking the vehicle.
But this was no legit repo, says the Mercedez owner, who shared the video with FOX 11 and police.
The car is paid off, and Foothill Division officers confirm they are investigating this as a crime.
Vehicle thefts have exploded in the San Fernando Valley.
LAPD's Valley Bureau posted over 2,300 as of April of this year in areas like Sylmar, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Tujunga and North Hollywood.
In North Hollywood alone, there was a 39% increase compared to last year.
Initially, there were a lot of reports of young people stealing Prius models after a Tik Tok challenge, say investigators.
While that trend has died down, the targeting of Toyotas, Hondas and Chevys for parts continues, with this "repo scam" becoming more popular.
They tend to happen when people are not at home, with suspects acting like it's a legit repo, except it's not.
If you see the guys in our story, call the LAPD immediately.
Try to save security or any video, showing the suspects and their license plates, if possible but avoid approaching them. They could be armed.