Ferrari Warns South African Customers Of Fraudsters Trying To Steal Cars Through Fake Recalls

Ferrari has warned its South African customers of a scam doing the rounds across the country.

According to Scuderia South Africa, a host of fraudsters are impersonating Ferrari Dealers and calling Ferrari owners to inform them that their vehicles are part of a recall campaign. If the owner takes the bait, the fraudsters will send a flatbed truck to the owner’s home and collect the vehicle.

Local publication Car Mag says the warning comes after an 812 Superfast was stolen using this method in Randburg near the bustling city of Johannesburg. The Italian supercar was crashed by the thieves at the Lebombo border with Mozambique.

“Should there be a recall of Ferrari vehicles, or service campaigns of any kind, Ferrari headquarters will never call you directly requesting the collection of your car. If you get a call from someone you believe is falsely claiming to be a Ferrari employee, please contact the dealership in question directly to validate the information,” Scuderia South Africa wrote on Facebook.

Ferrari is home to three dealerships across South Africa, one located in Bryanston just outside Johannesburg, one in Cape Town, and the other in Durban.

South Africa isn’t a particularly big market for the Italian car manufacturer, not that should surprise you. According to the latest sales information we could find, Scuderia South Africa sold 59 vehicles in the first nine months of 2018 with the 488 Spider leading the charge ahead of the 812 Superfast.