A rental business in Newport Beach is in distress after four Moke buggies, valued at over $200,000, vanished in what seems to be a well-planned scam involving pop star Justin Bieber.
Chad Malta, co-owner of Newport Beach Moke, explained that the trouble started when a man who went by “Allen” requested four vehicles for a ten-day rental, supposedly to transport Bieber to the Coachella festival.
Initially, everything seemed fine. The request mentioned being for a group connected to Bieber’s inner circle, even referencing his young son. “Kids love Mokes,” Malta noted, which made the reservation seem credible.
Despite some warning signs and changes in plans, the company proceeded and prepared the vehicles for pickup. A person claiming to be Allen’s assistant arrived to retrieve the keys, and the buggies were delivered to a location in Palm Desert, conveniently close to the festival.
That’s when things took a turn. At one point, Malta’s wife spoke to the renter, who seemed intoxicated and was surrounded by loud music, claiming he was at Coachella and everything was alright.
Worried, Malta called the California Highway Patrol as the vehicle was still on the move, but he was told that officers were “on alert.” He expressed frustration, noting that the vehicles were visible and easily identifiable.
Eventually, two white cars and one green and one pink Moke were reported stolen. Malta mentioned that the reservation included a $20,000 deposit, but the payment never came through. The scammers claimed the wire transfer would arrive the next morning since the booking was made late.
Things deteriorated from there. Tracking showed the vehicles heading south, toward the U.S.-Mexico border, before the GPS signals were completely cut off. “They destroyed all the GPS in the cars and now they’re on the other side of the border,” Malta said, adding that the vehicles might already have been modified in Mexico.
Feeling targeted, Malta said, “Unfortunately, these cars will never be found.” Co-owner Sadie Malta shared that the whole experience left them shaken, convinced it was an organized scheme.
“I feel very violated,” she said, suspecting it’s a sophisticated car theft operation. The Maltas believe the criminals used fake business websites to lend legitimacy to their story. She shared that her online search for “Allen” yielded results of older men, which didn’t match the younger man who approached them.
Sadie also pointed out that a tow truck appeared to be waiting, which further solidified her belief in the premeditated nature of the scam. They advised law enforcement against pursuing the case actively themselves and noted some murky references that may hint at a connection to a cartel, although this hasn’t been confirmed.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has launched an investigation, though connections to Bieber or any crime syndicates remain unverified as they look further into the fraudulent incident.
