Scam alert: Windscreen con artists swindling customers
Another scam is doing the rounds involving con artists tricking people around auto glass repair businesses.
If there's one thing we know about criminals, it's that they can turn anything into a scam.
They always look for creative ways to scam innocent people daily, from toll gate scams to vehicle towing scams.
This time it's all about your vehicle's windscreen. Can you get more bespoke than that? The Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) has noted a new scam targeting car owners replacing broken or chipped windscreens.
RUSA shared that they have received reports about criminals hanging around autoglass businesses and approaching customers about their windscreens. The criminals pose as staff and assess the windshield, only to ask for payment outside the premises with a promise to fit the windshield later.
This may sound like a classic con for most people who know not to pay a service provider before the job is complete, but scam artists have sadly caught some unsuspecting vehicle owners.
Vehicle owners who have been scammed only realise they have been scammed when they contact the auto glass business to follow up about their fitment.
RUSA has advised clients to conduct business inside the business premises.
A general point of note is that you shouldn't pay businesses or people before getting an official assessment inside the premises of a legitimate business.
Driving your motor vehicle with a chipped or shattered windshield has many safety concerns.
Eugene Herbert is the CEO of the advanced driver training company MasterDrive, he told TopAuto, "Many drivers may postpone repairs until they have more time or because of financial concerns. The amount of danger this actually places drivers in is considerable.
In an accident, the vehicle's roof can cave in up to 30% more if you have an improperly installed windscreen or one that is damaged."
Many discount the importance a windshield plays in a vehicle's structure, but it is a key component in its structural integrity. It plays a vital role in "protecting the cabin if a collision occurs."
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