MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A southwest Miami-Dade man is warning others about a brazen thief who duped him out of his two ATVs using fake cashier checks.
Now, another victim, who recently saw Local 10′s report on the incident, suspects he may have been targeted by the same scammer in Cutler Bay.
Mike Aguiar, the first victim, lost two ATVs, valued at $15,000. The scammer had posed as a buyer, arriving with what appeared to be a legitimate cashier’s check. But after Aguiar handed over his ATVs, he discovered the checks were fake.
After seeing Aguiar’s story, Cutler Bay resident Roger Reyes realized he’d been conned in a similar fashion.
Reyes had listed his dirt bike for $2,500 on Facebook Marketplace, where a man on a bicycle responded to the ad and showed up at Reyes’ home. The man’s defining feature was a red tattoo on his neck, Reyes recalled.
“We traded pictures and videos, and he alerted us that he had a tattoo on his neck. It was with red ink, which was the identifier,” Reyes said.
In a recorded home surveillance video, Reyes can be seen handing his dirt bike over to the man, who rode it back and forth before asking, “Can I ride it?” The supposed buyer handed Reyes his wallet and phone as collateral, but as Reyes soon realized, it was part of the con.
“As soon as I open the wallet there are a bunch of ones with no credit card, no ID,” Reyes explained.
Just hours after Aguiar’s ATV theft was reported, Reyes’ dirt bike was mysteriously returned with some damage.
“The bike was returned at 3:30 in the morning,” Reyes said, showing the damage.
He believes the scammer may be targeting online sellers and using various tactics to steal high-value items like ATVs and dirt bikes. His biggest concern, however, is the potential danger the young scammer may face.
“He looked really young, he could be my son. And God forbid he runs into the wrong person and they end his life,” Reyes said.
Miami-Dade police are investigating if the two thefts are connected, and officials urge anyone who recognizes the man in the video to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.