Scammer posing as Justin Bieber’s employees stole 4 buggies, man says – NBC Los Angeles

A Newport Seashore automobile rental firm permits folks to borrow Moke electrical automobiles that resemble golf carts: Due to their compact measurement and open-air design, they’re widespread at out of doors occasions like Coachella Competition to shuttle folks round.

Chad Marta, the proprietor of Newport Seashore Moke, stated he wasn’t shocked when he obtained a last-minute rental request from a person who offered himself as a concierge with a headline artist at Coachella.

Nevertheless, Marta now believes he could not see the 4 buggies he rented out to the particular person due to an elaborate rip-off, and he is out of tons of of 1000’s of {dollars}.

“It’s horrible somebody would do that,” Marta stated, including the person, who launched himself as Alen, stated he needed to hire 4 automobiles for 10 days to maneuver Justin Bieber round on the Coachella web site.

“If it strikes quick prefer it did, there are at all times free ends which might be tied up later, however we make certain we carry out and get the automobiles cleaned and searching nice and charged,” Marta defined.

Later, somebody who claimed to be Alen’s assistant later picked up the keys, and the 4 automobiles have been delivered to an tackle in Palm Desert, not too removed from the pageant.

Hours later, Marta stated he checked the trackers on the automobiles, and seen one thing was off.

“I’m watching it and monitoring it heading to the ten West and 60 after which the 215 and 15,” he stated.

Marta’s spouse obtained on the telephone with the client, who was inebriated whereas loud music taking part in within the background. He stated he was on the pageant, and every part, together with the automobiles, was discover, based on Marta.

However the automobiles have been later tracked south of the border in Tijuana earlier than the places have been turned off. The shopper was nowhere to be discovered.

NBC Los Angeles reached out to the corporate that rented the automobiles however didn’t get a response. NBCLA additionally reached out to Justin Bieber’s staff.

“It is a punch sadly, and it hurts,” Marta stated.

The bill was made with a $20,000 deposit, however as a result of the rental was final minute, the wire switch for the deposit by no means went by means of, based on the rental firm proprietor.

As Marta scrambled to replenish the 4 automobiles value over $200,000 to maintain the enterprise working, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Division confirmed that it is launched an investigation into the matter.