CALGARY- The closure of a Calgary auto dealership has now prompted a complex fraud investigation.
In August, Treadz Auto suddenly closed in southeast Calgary. Now, over 100 drivers are still waiting for word about their missing vehicles or money.
Calgary Police say they have received complaints involving 150 vehicles and that two investigators are now working full-time to look for evidence of fraud.
“Investigators have been very busy working through receiving documentation from 120 people,” said Staff Sgt. Kristie Verheul of the Calgary Police Service.”That is obviously a lot of documentation and weeding through various different scenarios that are popping out.”
Alicia Zoobkoff says she lost her Chrysler 300 in 2008. She says it was sold but she was never paid and now she’s frustrated waiting for police to find evidence to get it back.
“I find that so strange that someone can purchase a vehicle in good faith… and expect to keep the car but the owner doesn’t get paid for it,” said Zoobkoff.
It’s not just car owners who are concerned. Anyone who bought a vehicle on consignment is being investigated and could lose them.
Not all the missing cars were sold. Some were seized by creditors and have been frozen by the provincial auto regulator, the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC). (***link here**)
“We’ve intervened through what’s called a property freeze order which allowed the vehicles to be kind of frozen so to speak,” said AMVIC’s John Bachinski. “That’s allowed us time to work with the creditors and the consumers to determine who has claim.”
AMVIC is also screening Treadz Auto victims who may qualify to make a claim for losses under a a provincial dealer compensation fund.
Car owners can claim up to $25,000 each.
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