🚨 New Vehicle Rental Scam Alert: Drivers Selling Hired Cars Without the Owner’s Knowledge

Across South Africa, a new criminal trend is causing serious losses for car owners — especially those who hire out their vehicles for Uber, Bolt, or InDrive.

⚠️ How the Scam Works

Criminals approach vehicle owners pretending to be legitimate drivers or partners for e-hailing services. They agree to rent the car on a weekly or monthly basis, promising to pay a fixed amount.

After a few days or weeks of operating the car, the driver disappears — and the vehicle is sold to an unsuspecting buyer. When the real owner tries to contact the driver, their phone is off, and the car is already in someone else’s hands.

In many cases, the new “buyer” claims they purchased the car legally, leading to conflicts between the owner and the buyer. These cases often end up in long and costly legal battles, while the syndicate behind the sale is nowhere to be found.

🚘 Real Dangers for Vehicle Owners

• Financial loss: Vehicles worth hundreds of thousands are stolen this way.

• Legal complications: Recovering the car can take months due to ownership disputes.

• No insurance coverage: Many insurance companies do not cover “voluntary handover” theft.

🛡️ How to Protect Yourself

1. Install a Trekit365 Tracking and Wireless Backup System

Trekit365 offers a dual-protection system that ensures your vehicle remains under your control at all times:

• GPS Tracker: Allows you to see where your car is in real time and monitor unusual movements.

• Wireless Backup Unit: A hidden secondary tracker that remains active even if the main tracker is removed or disabled.

  • In case the driver disconnects the main unit or tries to sell the vehicle, the backup unit keeps transmitting location signals.

  • This helps our recovery team and SAPS trace the car quickly, even when the new buyer or driver tries to hide it.

2. Always Sign Proper Rental Agreements

Work with a verified e-hailing platform or use a legal car rental agreement that clearly states ownership, usage rules, and tracker installation requirements.

3. Request ID and Driver Verification

Always verify the driver’s ID, address, and criminal background before handing over your car keys.

4. Set Up Geo-Fence Alerts

With Trekit365, you can set alerts so you’re notified when your car moves outside certain boundaries — for example, leaving your city or entering suspicious areas.

5. Don’t Ignore Suspicious Behavior

If your driver delays payments, avoids calls, or refuses tracker installation, take it as a red flag and act fast.

💡 The Trekit365 Advantage

Our Wireless Backup Unit gives you an invisible layer of protection — one that thieves and dishonest drivers cannot easily find.
Even if your car is sold or hidden, Trekit365 can still locate and recover it within minutes.

📞 Stay Safe, Stay Smart

Don’t become a victim of this growing vehicle rental scam.
Equip your vehicle with Trekit365’s Wireless Anti-Hijack and Backup Tracking System today.

📍 Trekit365 – Always Watching. Always Recovering.
📞 064 540 6457 | ✉ info@trekit365.co.za | 🌍 www.trekit365.co.za