Hampshire Police have issued a warning about all-terrain vehicle sales

A series of thefts or attempted thefts follow

Police are urging those selling quality off-road motorcycles, quads, and ATVs online, particularly on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, to be vigilant after a series of thefts or attempted thefts.

It comes after numerous salespeople receive a phone call or message from people posing as “buyers” requesting a picture or video of the vehicle’s engine running from the salesperson.

Those posing as “buyers” then extracted the image metadata – which enables users to see when and where the picture or video was taken – and allows the bike to be located in a specific location. The vehicles are then targeted by criminals and are often stolen or attempts are made to steal the vehicles.

Advice from the police:

• Make sure the ‘Location’ settings on your mobile device / camera are turned off when sending pictures to potential ‘buyers’; this would weaken the extraction of the location metadata and the tracking of the vehicle

• If you are asked for additional pictures or videos by potential buyers, upload them directly to your online listing; do not send them directly.

• Do not give buyers a home or work address; Make an appointment with them in a public place or in a neutral place

• Report crime or suspicious activity using the online reporting tool Report a crime | Hampshire Police

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