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It has come to the attention of NJ CAR that at least two dealerships in North Jersey have been
targeted with a skilled key-switching scam that has resulted in cars being stolen. In both cases
a woman came into the dealership and asked to sit in a car and turn the ignition on. When
she was offered a test drive, she declined stating she had bad credit and would be coming back with her
boyfriend. In both cases, no driver’s license or other identification was taken, because the car was not
driven off the lot.
The key was either switched at that time or may have been switched when the woman returned with
a man at a later time. In any case, in one of the reported instances, a GMC key was replaced with a Chevy
key. It is presumed that the thieves returned after the dealership closed and drove the car off the lot.
The lesson to be learned is that a driver’s license or some form of identification should also be kept
on record whenever a key enters a car, regardless of whether the car is taken for a test drive or not.
Reported by the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers
Reprinted with permission
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