Poppy Bilderbeck
Police have urged drivers to remain vigilant as scammers have been targeting car wing mirrors.
By now, we've all heard of online scams, The Tinder Swindler and we know not to click on any links from a mobile phone number pretending to be your post office, but there's another type of fraudster you now need to add to your list.
Scammers have now been targeting driver's wing mirrors and the con is reported as costing drivers hundreds of pounds.
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The trick sees the scammers take a small object to a car as its driving past.
They claim that the car has hit their vehicle's wing mirror and argue that the bump or damage on the vehicle correlates to the damage on their car.
The fraudsters then demand money from the driver to repair the damage.
The scam has so far been reported in areas of Wales, with a spokesperson for North Wales Police saying in a statement: "The victim will be driving along and then hear a bang on the passenger side of their vehicle.
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"A car will then follow behind, get them to pull over and then claim that the victim just struck his driver’s door mirror and demand cash for repairs.
"What actually happens is that the scammer is parked at the roadside and will deliberately strike the victim’s car as it passes. The damaged mirror is fake and wasn’t caused by the victim."
Police informed North Dot Wales of one incident which took place on Monday, 30 May.
It involved 'a male driver with a female passenger in a silver coloured Range Rover'. The scam occurred in the Pensarn area of Conwy.
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Police urged anyone with 'any information' to ring 101 and quote reference number B078072.
Despite most reports of the wing mirror scam occurring in Wales, drivers all across the UK are being urged to keep an eye out.
People have also been trying to gain extra cash from drivers online.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive backlog of learner drivers keen to take their test and subsequently a lengthy waiting list, with some even expected to wait all the way until next year.
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In response to the whopping demand, Facebook groups have been set up offering to find and secure tests at a sooner date.
However, some have been charging learners five times the original price of driving test booking slots.