BEWARE - Scam going on around Letterkenny

nonsmoker

Did anyone hear of the people going round Letterkenny deliberatly causing car accidents and then intimidating people into giving them money?

This was discussed on Highland during the week but I never heard it.
A family member was telling me today that it happened a relative of ours last week. I hadnt heard anyone on about it at all but anyone driving around Letterkenny be careful!!

What happens is that you know if a car is sitting waiting to pull out onto a busy road and someone stops to let them, well some people are stopping to let cars out of whatever roads but then when the car pulls out the person who stopped drives into them!!!

I was told loads of people rang Highland, they said there could be 2 or 3 people in the car that 'caused' the accident and they all approach the car that they claim hit them and intimidate the person and ask them for money to fix the damage.

One man actually gave them whatever money he had on him out of fear, a woman paid out 2k, after getting solicitors letters.
My relative got a solicitors letter saying 'they' knew where he lives and if he didnt pay X amount of money to fix their car (that there was nothing wrong with) they would be calling to his house. Relative contacted his own solicitor and was told this was something that was going on around the town for a good while now.

I cant believe something like this is going on. From what I have heard if it happens to anyone of us be sure to call the guards because if there is any mention of getting the guards to the scene of the accident the people leave asap.

Lab_Mouse

Move to dublin or limerick its safer

itsonlywords

nonsmoker wrote: »

Did anyone hear of the people going round Letterkenny deliberatly causing car accidents and then intimidating people into giving them money?

This was discussed on Highland during the week but I never heard it.
A family member was telling me today that it happened a relative of ours last week. I hadnt heard anyone on about it at all but anyone driving around Letterkenny be careful!!

What happens is that you know if a car is sitting waiting to pull out onto a busy road and someone stops to let them, well some people are stopping to let cars out of whatever roads but then when the car pulls out the person who stopped drives into them!!!

I was told loads of people rang Highland, they said there could be 2 or 3 people in the car that 'caused' the accident and they all approach the car that they claim hit them and intimidate the person and ask them for money to fix the damage.

One man actually gave them whatever money he had on him out of fear, a woman paid out 2k, after getting solicitors letters.
My relative got a solicitors letter saying 'they' knew where he lives and if he didnt pay X amount of money to fix their car (that there was nothing wrong with) they would be calling to his house. Relative contacted his own solicitor and was told this was something that was going on around the town for a good while now.

I cant believe something like this is going on. From what I have heard if it happens to anyone of us be sure to call the guards because if there is any mention of getting the guards to the scene of the accident the people leave asap.

Sad state of affairs. There were some unsavoury types at that around Waterford I heard. Met their match one day when the guy they tried it on did not back down and beat the lard out of 2 of them. I suppose we should always be very dareful when out driving. I know, I am as I trust nobody now.

North_West_Art

any idea on who these guys are or what kind of cars their driving? Are they local?

byte

That reminds me of another scam that apparently went on, whereby people in front of you would pull the handbrake to stop (no brakelights) so you'd rear-end them.

Our man in Havana

I assume that these are fake solicitors letters. If a real solicitor wrote a letter like that they would be disbarred.

The best advice if anything like that happens is to sit tight and summon the Gardaí immediately.

implausible

There have been a few incidents of this in Ballybofey as well, one involving a family member, who was told of other incidents on the same day by the garda who came on the scene. Luckily, she stood her ground, refused to be intimidated and rang the gardaí. The man who was driving the van had a few family members on board and was of a....em....mobile ethnicity. He was extremely loud and aggressive, demanding cash on the spot. The garda said to leave it to the insurance companies.

Moral of the story is: don't let anyone wave you out and if involved in a collision, ring the gardaí. These people are relying on you being frightened and handing over cash.

Senna

Fecking scumbags.
I'd love if they tried it on me, but they probably target females and older people.

asea

they need rear ended with a size 10 boot

Graces7

Why do people let themselves be intimidated like that?

Just call the Gardai - period.

North_West_Art

one to beware of is shopping centre car parks. Make sure to drive in the direction of the arrows, because if any of this crowd see you going against the grain, so to speak, they will drive into you and claim that because you were in the wrong, your liable. It happen my Dad in Blanchardstown shopping centre car park a couple of years ago, the guy got a friend of his who owned a garage to write the car off (impact was only 5-10mph). He claimed the chasais was buckled. When the gardai got involved, they found out that this guy had 5 cars registered in his name, and only insured them 1 month at a time and was a habitual carpark stalker with list of drug convictions. Gardai said to ignore his calls and they would deal with him, that was the last we heard of it

nonsmoker

In my relatives case the people were

deemark wrote: »

of a....em....mobile ethnicity.

I was chatting to someone else today that said this has been happening a lot out the Derry road and Port road, my relative's incident to place on the Pearse road.

nonsmoker

Graces7 wrote: »

Why do people let themselves be intimidated like that?

Just call the Gardai - period.

Some people get intimidated easily - Im sure we have all been intimidated at some stage in our lives, some more than others.

I can certainly stand up for myself and be as mouthy as the next person but if I had 2 or 3 people shouting at me demanding money and I was on my own I would think it would be a fairly scary experience not to mention this combined with the shock of thinking you caused an accident.

muffler

Id love to see them try it on against the muffmobile

Graces7

Well, that is choice really.

And have a strategy ready.

In a city, lock the car door when you get in and the same with the windows; carry a phone. We don't have a mobile so an old portable or dead mobile will suffice.

Don't argue. Or shout back; call for help.

Yes it is scary and that is their modus operandi

If in any doubt, pick the phone up and pretend to call the gardai.

Bullies are cowards; keep yourself safe.

NB I am in the range of those easily targetted and no way would I stand for this.

nonsmoker wrote: »

Some people get intimidated easily - Im sure we have all been intimidated at some stage in our lives, some more than others.

I can certainly stand up for myself and be as mouthy as the next person but if I had 2 or 3 people shouting at me demanding money and I was on my own I would think it would be a fairly scary experience not to mention this combined with the shock of thinking you caused an accident.

Graces7

And failing all else, I WOULD CLOBBER THE GUYS WITH MY WALKING STICK!!!



So there!!

smashey

I could tell you the story of the boy racer with a bad attitude who got out of his car to me one day in Redcastle. I watched him and as soon as he got out, I stepped out of the van I was driving. He wasn't expecting 6' 6" and 20 stone of angry smashey.

His demeanour changed fairly rapidly and he beat a swift apologetic retreat to his car. Which was rather sensible of him.

North_West_Art

remind me not to mess with the mods in the Donegal forum! :pac:

muffler

North_West_Art wrote: »

remind me not to mess with the mods in the Donegal forum! :pac:

Give that man a pint

Domscard

Maybe the Donegal mods could PM us their phone numbers to be used strictly in an emergency if caught by this particular scam? We could prepare a card to be passed out through a tiny gap in the car window informing the scammers that Muffler and/or Smashey were on their way ... and it was time they were on theirs as a result.

Graces7

I tend to have that effect on people for different reasons

Like the guys in Donegal Town eating ice cream who threw the papers out of the car window... Needless to say they soon thought better of that idea...

You don't have to be HUGE...

Glad you are on our side though..

Any good with a chain saw?

smashey wrote: »

I could tell you the story of the boy racer with a bad attitude who got out of his car to me one day in Redcastle. I watched him and as soon as he got out, I stepped out of the van I was driving. He wasn't expecting 6' 6" and 20 stone of angry smashey.

His demeanour changed fairly rapidly and he beat a swift apologetic retreat to his car. Which was rather sensible of him.

muffler

Domscard wrote: »

Maybe the Donegal mods could PM us their phone numbers to be used strictly in an emergency if caught by this particular scam? We could prepare a card to be passed out through a tiny gap in the car window informing the scammers that Muffler and/or Smashey were on their way ... and it was time they were on theirs as a result.

Just carry the appropriate torch with you

Domscard

Graces7 wrote: »

Any good with a chain saw?

:eek: I imagine if you carry one of those on the passenger seat in plain view it wouldn't matter if you could use it or not!

niamh1975

What cash are they looking for anyway, hundreds? I use my laser card mostly so the most they would get off me would be €5. Any chance this is just an urban myth going about maybe?

Our man in Havana

The Gardaí should be enough to get rid of these chancers as I would doubt they would have any valid insurance to begin with, hence why the always want cash.

smashey

niamh1975 wrote: »

What cash are they looking for anyway, hundreds? I use my laser card mostly so the most they would get off me would be €5. Any chance this is just an urban myth going about maybe?

Not a myth. I know of at least two instances in Ballybofey recently.

niamh1975

I see, thanks Smashey. Better spread the word so

muffler

Bond-007 wrote: »

The Gardaí should be enough to get rid of these chancers as I would doubt they would have any valid insurance to begin with, hence why the always want cash.

Yeah, fair point.

Cul a cnoic

muffler wrote: »

Just carry the appropriate torch with you

Should that not be

muffler

Excellent