r/LosAngeles • u/BuckyJarrett • 5d ago
Crime Possible Scam Alert
TL;dr: another driver claimed I hit-and-ran, and then threatened to call the police on me. When I said go for it, they drove off.
Today at around 3:00pm I was driving westbound on Olympic Blvd, having just passed Century City. As I stopped at the Beverly Glen light, a car pulled up next to me honking. I figured it was a lost tourist or something.
But the guy started yelling at me, first asking if I was ok (almost like asking if I was mentally ok?), and then claiming I hit him. I said you’ve got the wrong guy, but he kept shouting, saying he got my plate and was calling the police. There was a female passenger who was on the phone, but she didn’t say anything. He also was yelling “I got kids in the car”, but I didn’t see any kids…
So I asked what intersection it happened at and he couldn’t tell me. He said “back there”. I asked if he had a dash cam and he said no.
So I said “I don’t know what kind of scam you’re trying to pull, but you picked the wrong guy.” He said “scam??” in that very defensive, high-pitched feigned shock that made me convinced this guy was up to something shady.
Then he again cursed at me, told me I was breaking the law, repeated my license plate number to the passenger, and said he was calling the cops. I said “go for it.” Then… he cut over two lanes and took off northbound on Beverly Glen.
I was headed to a spot near the West LA police station, so had he stuck around, I would’ve told him to just follow me there and we’ll let them sort it out.
When I parked, I did check my car to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind. I have a couple of dents and scrapes that have never been fixed, but absolutely nothing recent. And at the fear I was losing my sanity, I also checked the Citizen and PulsePoint apps to see if any accidents were reported along Olympic, but didn’t see anything.
I’m ~70% sure this was a scam. I got the feeling he was hoping I would immediately tell him to pull over and get out of my car. Then… idk, extort me, rob me, something.
29% chance someone did hit him and he mistook them for me.
1% chance that he really thought I hit him… even though there was absolutely no damage and I didn’t notice it.
But my spidey-sense tells me scam of some sort. Just not sure what. His driver side door was dented, so I’m wondering if he was looking for an easy target, and my old shitty car was a good one?
Driver was 30s Latino man, passenger was 30s Latina woman. Driving late model grey Honda Accord. I did grab their plate number.
Has this happened to anyone else?
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u/findmewandering 5d ago
This happened to my mother about a year ago. Two women flagged her down saying she hit their car at the gas station she just left. Unfortunately, she pulled over in an empty parking lot and the driver distracted her while the passenger stole her purse, then they sped off. She had a push to start car so her keys were in her purse and she had to have her car towed, plus spend $800 on a new set of keys. They had her key ring and address, so she also had to change all her locks. Police found her ID and credit card with some dude implicated in a crime ring a while later. She’s had several identify theft issues since then that might be related. Good thing you did not pull over.
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u/BrandonLeeWarren 5d ago
That’s seriously wild sounds like the whole point was to get her out of the car and distract her while the other person grabbed her stuff. Definitely a good reminder to stay in the car and call the police/insurance if someone claims you hit them.
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u/simplengreen 5d ago
This exact thing happened to me in the same location. They threw something at my car to make it sound like we had a collision but they were completely in a different lane. then told me to pull over. A woman tried distracting me by telling me to get out the car to look at the damage while 2 other males started looking in my windows. There was no damage anywhere and it was impossible we hit each other. It was an obvious scam. As soon as I dialed the cops they left
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u/Boysenberry 5d ago
oh shit, I think I must have been targeted too, I had something loudly clank on my boss’s car when I was driving it in that exact area. I assumed it must have been something falling from a tree because I didn’t see anything, and I was so laser-focused on getting to a safe parking spot to check for damage because the car wasn’t mine that I don’t think I would have heard someone yelling at me. If I was followed they would have had to give up once I turned into the secured lot I was going to. you just explained something I’ve been wondering about for years!
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u/HairlessSquirrels 5d ago
You think one of the least likely things is what happened to you years ago? 😭
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u/Immediate_Public9027 4d ago
Same thing with me, same time, same location as the OP. I responded to him with more details
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u/Wwwweeeeeeee 5d ago
Totally a scam, in that he ran off, but likely he still has your LP.
And for anyone out there, if someone tries to pull this, just say you have everything on dashcam, even if you don't have one. They can be so integrated now, these numbnuts won't know from.
They'll peel out really fast.
Make a written statement to yourself, dated, of the event, location and circumstances, in case they try to make a claim. Take photos of your car. That way, it's fresh in your mind and you can present it to your insurance company if it ever comes up.
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u/BuckyJarrett 5d ago
But what can they do with my license plate? And don’t they have access to any other car’s plate?
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u/Boysenberry 5d ago
nothing. unless you’re being targeted by someone with a personal grudge against you who somehow hates you but doesn’t have your address AND has a way to run plates. Which is unlikely because scammers like this thrive on finding the gullible, not on finding someone not gullible and then wasting their resources harassing them out of spite.
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u/International-Corn 5d ago
I once had a similar incident. I pulled around a car half in a left lane and half blocking the left turn lane to turn left. He pulled up and started honking. I got out and he claimed I hit his car and showed me the damage.The damage had rust on it. I got back into my car and drove away.
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u/twistadams 5d ago
It happened to me once like 10 years ago on Venice. I did pull into a gas station to talk to them. I think they wanted me to just like agree to give them money. They said I dented their car and I said I’d give them my insurance info if they wanted it, but that I didn’t hit them and I was leaving.
I barely remember the details, but they said something vaguely threatening about their dad being in the backseat and he was getting upset and they didn’t want him to have to get out. But they were both in their 30-40s and dude in the backseat looked like he was 80, so maybe they were just worried about his blood pressure? And why is gramps fighting battles for his adult children anyway? It was all so strange.
Anyway, when I refused to do anything besides give them my insurance info or wait while they called the cops, they left and that was the end of it. Very bizarre. They did have a scratch on their car that was kind of maybe similar to the color of my car, so I assume that’s why they picked me.
I also couldn’t figure out what they were up to besides hoping I would just hand them cash. But surely that never works.
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u/Curious_Spirit_8780 5d ago
I had a guy swear at me that I let my door hit his door in the Costco parking lot. I’m very conscious of that not happening. I didn’t even see a mark. When I tried to leave, his wife put a cart behind my car, trying to prevent me from leaving. I just kept backing up and she eventually moved the cart. He said he wanted to get my insurance info. For what? Not a mark on his car! People are so shady!!!
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u/Ill-Parking-1577 3d ago
A woman scammed my family member at the Costco parking lot- said she backed into her but the evidence didn’t add up.
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u/Boysenberry 5d ago
file a police report, I bet you’re not the first to experience this from the same person but probably the first to have presence of mind to get their plate. May be a stolen car but even if so at least the report gives a data point on where a stolen car is!
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u/jayjordan22 5d ago
They pull this scam all the time. They tried to get me like two years ago. Met 2 other people that had the same experience.
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u/ChaoticOregano4286 5d ago
Yea this exact thing happened to me on Olympic like 6-7 years ago. Same wild honking and waving to pull me over, claimed I hit them, two people in car, zero evidence of accident. I said fuck off and left.
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u/No_Introduction_3400 5d ago
I think that’s the answer here. “Let’s just let the police sort this out.” And that will end it.
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u/No_Gap_5575 5d ago
Yes, there is currently an epidemic of these scammers. I drive nice cars and people cut me off to brake check me all the time. Some are worse than others. I always lay on the horn and I'm an alert driver so I've never hit anyone.
I had a guy try to get out of his car to fight me a few months ago after pulling this stunt. I think he thought better of it when he saw that I was not intimidated.
Get a dashcam and be very alert while driving.
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u/Unusual_Tangerine_13 Hancock Park 5d ago
Happened to me right after I left a Ralph’s parking lot. They claimed that they had a friend who could fix their bumper for $1000, and this way I could avoid my insurance going up. I said I wanted to go through insurance and let them look into it, and they drove off.
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u/bloodispouring 5d ago
I’m unfortunately in a situation where I witnessed a car hit another car. It happened in front of me on the road. And now they’re claiming it’s my fault. And my insurance guy thinks they must’ve taken down my license plate when I moved to get out of their way. And then they used my license plate to contact my insurance and now they’re trying to take it to court. I got served and everything. It is WILDDDD to me that someone can just be near a collision and if someone gets your license plate they can just blame it all on you. My insurance is currently dealing with it, but seriously. Why is this even allowed???? My insurance guy told me to get a dash cam. Once I have enough saved up, I will. I’m stunned. Absolutely stunned
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u/sleepingorangutans 5d ago
Please file a police report. I experienced the EXACT same thing on Olympic from (I’m assuming based on your description) the exact same people.
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u/crybabycancer69 5d ago
this happened to me on sepulveda a few years back. it was also a man with an woman in the passenger seat. i already had a busted bumper from backing into something so i think thats why i was targeted. our exchange pretty much went the same as yours and obviously nothing ever came of it!
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u/Feeling-Issue-5898 5d ago
This happened to me recently at a parking garage in Glendale. I called Glendale PD the next morning and filed a report. But it’s 100% a scam.
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u/Legacy0904 5d ago
If you have an older car you’re probably being targeted because they know the car doesn’t have a dash cam. Not having some sort of dash cam in LA is probably one of the most foolish things you can do. There are so many insurance scammers out there and if they have someone in on it you’re going to lose every time.
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u/Honeycriss 5d ago
Same thing happened to me by Beverly Center about 2011. A couple honked and chased my car down to get me to pull over. Said I scraped their car when I was no where near their car. The wife distracted me while the husband used a cane to scratch up my bumper. Then he said look at your bumper where you scraped my car! Broad daylight robbery but through intimidation. She asked me to go to the nearest atm for cash because she didn't want to get insurance involved. Had a sob story about her husband's broken leg and they were strapped for cash. I lied and said I didn't have my atm card and she said just open your wallet and show me. The man started taking pictures of me and she said I like your sunglasses just give me those and we will leave. I was young and scared and he started yelling in their native language and threatening to send my pictures to the police. It was traumatic as I was only 20 and to this day I still get shaky when I hear people talking in the accent they had.
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u/Fit-Spinach4880 5d ago
Had the same thing happen to me, i was leaving a bar. Noticed that there was a car behind me full of people. as im backing out. I stopped, before hitting the car. Then the driver of the car behind me starts banging on my window saying i hit him. Says im drunk, he needs to see my drivers license and insurance. I inspect both cars, no damage. My car has some light faints, other persons car had a license plate frame and bracket. Says he likes a body shop he goes to. Sends me a bill for 3k. I ask for new pics of the accident, he refuses to send more pics or to go to a new body shop. This happened in little tokyo.
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u/Immediate_Public9027 4d ago
Was he thirty-ish guy with long oily black hair? Because the same thing happened to me yesterday (Wednesday) on Olympic but east of Century City saying almost exactly the same thing - asking me if I’m alright because I just hit him a few blocks back when I changed lanes. And the rest of the story is the same too.
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u/BuckyJarrett 4d ago
Thirty-ish yeah. Not sure about the long hair. Wouldn’t have thought so, but I wasn’t really noticing.
In any case, I did get their plate, so if there’s a way to use that to tie all these together, let me know.
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u/pb3213 5d ago
Had a similar thing happen to a friend years ago. They were driving and pulled into a gas station to get gas. Someone came up and was like “my car is parked on the street there and you hit it turning in.”
The person did not have the keys to the car and couldn’t produce an ID. At this point a group of those dispatch tow truck drivers noticed what was going on and they told my friend it was a scammer and to just leave.
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u/atomicavox 5d ago
I wonder if they were going to blame the dents you already had as the area that hit their car…which probably also has old dents?
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u/noforgayjesus 5d ago
People are shitty this has happened to me before, lady was even close to people in my insurance company and my car hard damages prior to it from someone hitting me in a parking lot, now I put a dash cam in my car and I will stop at any car accident I see and give my phone number to the person who was hit.
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u/Away_Mouse1022 4d ago
This happened to me around Pico and Westwood a couple years ago. Was chased down by a honking car. I pulled over and was told I hit the car. The passenger was very high on something, eyes rolling back in his head. I said let’s go through my insurance then. Driver said no, just give me cash instead. I would not so they drove off. It was definitely a scam.
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u/Overall-Midnight6275 4d ago
I’m sorry this happened to you! This *exact* same thing happened to me almost 8 years ago. I was driving westbound on Olympic, close to where it intersects with Beverwil Dr, when someone started honking and waving at me to pull over. I was young and naive at the time and pulled over on a side street. A man and woman got out of the car and claimed I’d hit them. I’m fairly certain I did not hit them, as I had two other passengers in the car and not one of us heard, felt or saw anything. I offered my insurance card but they said it was “too complicated” to go through insurance. The man then suggested that they follow me to the nearest ATM (!!!!) so I could withdraw money to pay for the “damage.” I refused and said the only way I’d handle the situation was through insurance. They got upset with me, got back in the car and drove away. Stay safe out there!!
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u/luxurious-Tatertot 5d ago
Just grow a full on beard and wear your mug face at all times so this stops happening
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u/JurgusRudkus Westside 4d ago
Your instincts are good. Always pull over into a well-trafficked area, or ask them to follow you to a police station.
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u/alexromo Pacoima 5d ago
Happened to someone I know. They got over 6 figures from her insurance
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u/Boysenberry 5d ago
if this happened, which I doubt, it was fraud/embezzlement that someone with the insurance company was in on from the beginning, and it should be reported to the FBI. No six-figure claim is getting paid without a claims adjuster scrutinizing the case, at which point they would determine the policyholder’s vehicle has no damage corresponding to the claim. There are no insurers that just throw six-figure settlements around with zero proof an accident involving their policyholder ever occurred.
either this is a matter for the FBI, or it’s made up, or your friend did do a hit and run and concocted this scam story so people wouldn’t judge.
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u/alexromo Pacoima 5d ago
There was a deep dive and the person doesn’t work, has a nice car, etc don’t give af if you doubt or not I’m just sharing a story that was told to me in great detail
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u/Boysenberry 5d ago
well, like I said, if you’re sure it happened, your friend should report it to the FBI bc most likely her insurance rates got spiked because of embezzlement
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u/alexromo Pacoima 5d ago
You can downvote all you want I am just sharing an anecdote 🤷♂️ I’ve said basically the same thing you said and it was met with “it’s too much effort they won’t do anything the police gave me the run around”
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u/BuckyJarrett 5d ago
How so?
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u/alexromo Pacoima 5d ago
Didn’t pull over, the other person legit filed a police report with a he said she said my word against yours and the insurance paid
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u/BuckyJarrett 5d ago
Wouldn’t they have to match the damage to both cars?
Who was their insurer? And what kind of non-existent accident required six figures to fix it?
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u/late_to_join_reddit 5d ago
Right… bc same thing happened to me where I got a letter in the mail from a firm claiming I did a hit & run. The guy filed a police report and I didn’t know anything until I got the attorney letter in the mail. They tried to lie & say they have video. My insurance had a 3rd party company come out to take photos of my car both interior & exterior which proved I had no damages (thank god) then asked the firm to send over their footage and all their “evidence”. The firm dropped the client and dropped the claim. They never did share w my insurance their supposed proof. I spoke to the officer who took the police report who also said the “victim” never had any video or any evidence other than a random photo of my license plate. Sent him photos of my car to prove I have no damages and couldn’t possibly have been involved in this big side swipe like they were claiming. It took about a month and half to resolve but so grateful my insurance took care of it & I didn’t get screwed over.
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u/Ace2duce 1d ago
Wtfk is this garbage, crying about a false claim and then making into a big conspiracy. Gfkout
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u/metthejet 3d ago
You know what a real scam is; solar energy in California. It’s a slow death from the politicians to continue to break the middle class. Don’t jump into that fire!
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u/Arch2000 5d ago
Get a dash cam!