(KRON) — Two men from Fremont were arrested last week for their alleged involvement in a scam to trick a car owner into selling their vehicle for less than it was worth.

Authorities began investigating the scam after a Newcastle resident suspected that two prospective buyers put oil in their car’s engine before a test drive to make the car appear broken, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

“During the test drive, the car suddenly began to smoke — something it hadn’t done before,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said. “This well-known scam tricks victims into believing their vehicle has a catastrophic problem, in which the all-too-willing suspects are able to take off the victim's hands for a steeply reduced price.”

The car owner told the suspects, 19-year-old Iulian Miha

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