Fraud Stoppers at BMW of Catonsville

Our BMW of Catonsville staff helped police capture a perpetrator during a fraud scheme.

The staff at BMW of Catonsville proved they are a tough nut to crack.  On Thursday, October 20, 2016, an internet credit application was submitted with the indication that the purchaser wanted an X6 M Class BMW valued at $116,000.00. This vehicle was advertised on our website, and generated interest as it is a specialty niche vehicle.

The credit application and the credit report matched perfectly; however, on page four of the report, there was a fraud alert that had been entered days before. The sales manager called the number on the alert, and the potential victim told him that she had not filed the application. The staff at BMW of Catonsville then contacted MileOne Corporate. After speaking with local police, we arranged to play along with the potential fraud, exchanging emails and text messages with the criminal, and treating them as if they were a typical customer.

When the potential fraud buyer came to the dealership, the F&I sales staff worked with the customer, while a manager called the Baltimore County PD. The police arrived and arrested the perpetrator.

Many dealership groups would have denied this credit application or even shared with the perpetrator that the there was a fraud alert, but our dealership responded wisely, and worked with our internal legal department who was able to coordinate with the police. We are now working with both local and federal authorities to ensure that this act of fraud receives the proper justice.

This is not the first time that this dealership has gone the extra mile to protect not only our vehicles from being taken by identity thieves, but also to stop other dealerships from being victimized by these schemes.

Great job to all involved – thank you for your diligent work!