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A series of thefts or attempted thefts follow<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
It comes after numerous salespeople receive a phone call or message from people posing as \u201cbuyers\u201d requesting a picture or video of the vehicle’s engine running from the salesperson.<\/p>\n
Those posing as \u201cbuyers\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u2022 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<\/p>\n
\u2022 If you are asked for additional pictures or videos by potential buyers, upload them directly to your online listing; do not send them directly.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Do not give buyers a home or work address; Make an appointment with them in a public place or in a neutral place<\/p>\n
\u2022 Report crime or suspicious activity using the online reporting tool Report a crime | Hampshire Police<\/a><\/p>\n