O.C. carjackers are using Facebook help-wanted ads to steal cars from gullible victims

A sophisticated auto theft crime ring is targeting Spanish-speaking victims in Southern California, according to the Irvine Police Department.

Over the past year, ten people who do not reside in Irvine have been carjacked or have had their cars stolen after responding to help-wanted advertisements on Facebook.

In recent cases, the suspects asked the victims to drive cash to Bakersfield and agreed to pay them up to $12,000. When victims were lured to Irvine, they were carjacked with a gun or by threats of violence. Many of the stolen cars were driven across the border into Mexico.

The Irvine Police Department urges everyone to be cautious when answering help-wanted advertisements. If you have been a victim, please make sure you have reported the incident to your local police department.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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