Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., ordered the law enforcement agency to crack down on fraud related to cars.
This came after the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) impounded three vehicles in Central Luzon over fraud-related incidents last Thursday.
‘Nartatez ordered the PNP-HPG to strengthen coordination with the Anti-Cybercrime Group and Regional Police Offices in tracking down online listings and falsified registrations linked to syndicated car loan frauds,’ the top cop’s office said in a statement on Monday.
‘He also called on banks, lending institutions, and the public to verify all car-related transactions to avoid becoming victims of scammers,’ it added.
In a separate statement, the HPG said it impounded a sports utility vehicle (SUV) after being found parked unattended in Angeles City last Thursday morning after not being returned to its owner for an unspecified amount of time.
Later that morning, the HPG impounded a motorcycle with a sidecar after its owner presented an allegedly falsified certificate of registration and official receipt while at the traffic police’s office in Pilar, Bataan, to verify their motor vehicle clearance.
Then, on Thursday afternoon, the HPG impounded a sedan in Abucay, Bataan, after it was discovered to be a car that was sold off despite undergoing repossession proceedings over unpaid obligations to the financier.
The HPG did not provide further details about each case but did say they were all undergoing legal disposition.