Three men were arrested Monday for running an alleged car-sale scam that targeted victims across much of California, including the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Tehama, Napa, Contra Costa, Placer and El Dorado.
The suspects, 23-year-old Gabi Tanase, 28-year-old Marius Tanase and 34-year-old Ionut Tanase, were arrested Monday after attempting to scam another victim in Northern California, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
“A Placer County resident reported an attempted scam after meeting with potential buyers for his vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said. “During the encounter, the suspects attempted to manipulate the situation to make it appear the car had a serious mechanical issue. The victim grew suspicious, declined to sell, and contacted law enforcement.”
The men were operating an “oil-in-the-engine” scam, in which scammers secretly drip oil into a car’s engine before a test drive, making the car appear broken and potentially frightening the owner into selling their car at a lower price…