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A while back, I sold my car, which means I can breath easy every time I hear an alarm go off.

I live near the Cape Town CBD, so that happens often.

It also means that I am unlikely to fall victim to the numerous scams being used to part people from their vehicles, which range in sophistication.

There’s the test drive one, which is relatively straightforward, right through to more elaborate methods, like thieves pretending to be tracking technicians that need to replace faulty tracking devices.

In a recent investigation, Carte Blanche looked at another, highly effective operation currently fleecing South Africans of their wheels.

No threats, no guns, no violence – but your car is gone in the blink of an eye. It’s the 2020 incarnation of a sophisticated con that gets you to part with the keys to your high-end luxury vehicle – with a smile.

A scam so slick that it’s left victims baffled after they willingly parted with their cars to complete strangers.

It’s one thing to be the victim of a hijacking, and it’s quite another to willingly hand over your keys, none the wiser that it’s about to disappear into the black market:

[source:carteblanche]