Industry-wide car recall scam in South Africa – What to look out for

Bentley South Africa through the Insurance Crime Bureau (ICB) has issued a renewed warning to car owners in the country about a “continued industry-wide motor theft scam involving major manufacturers” – which was first highlighted in 2021 but has seemingly only grown in prevalence.

The scam sees motorists being approached through fake emails, text messages, and even telephone calls by criminals pretending to act on behalf of a car company, in an effort to allow their vehicle to be picked up by a brand representative under the guise of a “recall” with the end goal being never to take the car back to its owner.

“Such a notification may closely imitate Bentley’s Corporate Identity and will purport to be a notification from Bentley South Africa, informing the owner that his/her Bentley will be collected by a representative of Bentley South Africa for critically urgent safety recall work or special service work to be carried out at one of the Bentley dealerships,” said the manufacturer.

“Any such attempt to collect your vehicle from you will be an attempt to defraud you into handing over your keys and service book to these criminals!”

The scam isn’t limited to Bentley’s vehicles, however, as many owners of various brands have fallen victim to these fraudsters before.

Bentley advises that if you receive such a notification, or are contacted in any manner regarding a recall on your car, you should immediately contact an accredited dealer to verify whether the recall or repair request is legitimate.

How to avoid becoming a victim

To help avoid falling victim to the car recall scam, the ICB has provided several guidelines on what to look out for if you are contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of your car’s manufacturer.

During an official recall, the automaker will send the registered owner formal communication that describes the recall in detail and the processes to follow.

While this is similar to the actions performed by the criminals, a crucial differentiation is that it is very unlikely that the manufacturer will send a tow truck to collect your vehicle – in most cases, they will expect you to bring take the car to them, according to the ICB.

In addition, it is recommended to treat strangers with a healthy dose of skepticism if they claim to be from a car dealership that will be facilitating the recall.

In this scenario, you should contact the dealership directly to verify that the person on the other end of the line is, in fact, an employee of theirs, as well as to clarify the finer details of the recall.

If you suspect any foul play, it’s best to report the calls to the authorities, the manufacturer, and the dealership with haste as this will assist them in putting a stop to the bad actors.