Scammers offer “car repairs” to rip off Palm Desert woman
Elaine Cottrell talked about the two scammers who said they would repair scratches on her bumpers and clean her headlights.
“I thought to myself, these are kids looking for a job, working for their money, and not doing something wrong,” said Cottrell.
But, the young men, who “seemed so nice”, left her Toyota SUV in worse shape than it was before.
“They were so sweet, they seemed honest. I’m an honest person, and it’s the season of giving,” said Cottrell.
Cottrell says the scammers approached her in the Ross parking lot on highway 111 in Palm Desert, last Tuesday afternoon around 12:30 after she parked her car.
The told Cottrell they would perform the work on her Toyota for $200 while she shopped in the store.
When she came out sections of her bumper were covered with a blue filler, called “Bondo” she was told should be washed off after a couple of hours.
Growing suspicious, she only paid the men $100 and they took off.
“I am just disappointed they would take advantage of somebody,” said Cottrell.
After taking her SUV to “An American Car Wash”, the grandmother found out she was duped.
The car wash owner, David Kartao says all the con artists did was take sandpaper to her SUV, spray it with cheap paint, and cover it with Bondo.
“They are not doing any good. They’re just trying to make a quick buck and take advantage of kind nice people,” said Kartao.
In a twist, Kartao says he has helped two other customers who apparently got hit with the same scam.
A BMW sedan was left with significant paint damage, as was a beautiful, black Jaguar sedan, owned by a man in his eighties, who paid several hundred dollars to get it cleaned up.
“It took us 2 entire days to clean it up,” said Kartao.
Cottrell says she contacted the Sheriff’s Station in Palm Desert to file a report, but says she was told there was “nothing they could do”, since she agreed to have the work done, and then paid for it.
“I just wanted to make the public aware so other people would not be vulnerable,” said Cottrell.
We contacted the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station to find out if they have seen other cases like this, and asked for what warning they would give.
We have not yet received a response.
The old adage applies in this case.
If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
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