SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – Two men were arrested April 3 in connection with an auto buying scam ring that has successfully targeted people selling their vehicles across the state.
On April 3, detectives made a traffic stop on a vehicle with three people inside on Highway 101 near the junction with Highway 166 stated a press release Thursday from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The three occupants -a 37-year-old La Puente man, a 17-year-old, and an 11-year-old- had been spotted earlier at a home in Arroyo Grande attempting to buy a car explained the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, all three are believed to be involved with an "Oil in the Engine" scam where a person pretending to be a buyer of a vehicle contacts a seller -usually on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist- and arranges to meet them for an inspection and test drive.
Often scammers will bring two or three other people to the meeting and while one person distracts the seller, another secretly pours oil on the engine so that during a test drive the engine block starts smoking.
Scammers will then offer a very low price while hoping the seller will take the offer while under the impression their vehicle is in need of serious repairs detailed the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's Detectives noted over 20 reported incidents of the "Oil in the Engine" scam in San Luis Obispo County between Nov. 21, 2024, and March 22, 2025, with estimated total losses of about $60,000.
Many of those calls came after the Sheriff's Office turned to the public and local media for help in March noted the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office Thursday.
During a search of the vehicle on April 3, a nearly empty bottle of engine oil and a gallon jug that was partially full of engine oil were discovered shared the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The 37-year-old man was arrested and booked on charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, tampering with a vehicle, and obtaining money by false pretenses and he remains in County Jail with his bail set at $600,000 stated the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The involved teenager was transported to Juvenile Hall and the 11-year-old was turned over to Child Welfare Services added the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
In response to Your News Channel's inquiries, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office confirmed that they believe the arrestees are part of a larger Romanian criminal organization operating throughout the state and it is possible there may be more arrests in the future as part of their ongoing investigation.
Arrests made in connection with statewide auto buying scam targeting SLO County residents News Channel 3-12.
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