In a captivating TikTok video from the account Crime Video (@law_crime_us), which has acquired over 46,000 followers and is known for its Police Body Cam content, a woman’s encounter at a car dealership has captured the internet’s attention.
The clip, amassing 2.4 million views as of Friday, detailed a distressing incident where she claims $4,400 was stolen from her car while at the dealership. Her meticulous recounting of events raised both concern and skepticism in equal measure.
The woman explained her visit to the dealership was to finalize the purchase of a car she had tested the previous day.
A car deal gone wrong
“I brought $7,000 from my house this morning. I saved up,” she tells the officer. “I left it in my old car and kept it locked.”
After various transactions and moving her money into the new car’s console, she says she asked the manager if they had filled up the car with gas before she finished signing the papers. According to the woman, the manager told an employee to go fill up the car at a nearby gas station.
“Soon as I got in the car, I got in the console, and I could tell there was money missing,” she says. In the clip, she tells the officer she believes it was the dealership employee who committed the alleged theft.
The dialogue with the police officer uncovered the complexities of pursuing justice in such cases. The woman offered potential actions, including checking surveillance footage at the gas station where the car was taken to be filled up and the feasibility of securing a search warrant to inspect the suspect’s vehicle. She even suggested fingerprinting the envelopes which was met with skepticism by the officer. Amidst the exchange, she poignantly remarks, “I know I’m screwed,” suggesting her efforts are likely in vain given the circumstances.
TikTok commenters showed a mix of empathy and some criticism.
@law_crime_us #copsoftiktok #policeoftiktok #fyp ♬ original sound – Crime Video
Viewers weigh in
One user expressed support, stating, “She has to be telling the truth cuz why would she call the cops and be so calm and detailed.”
Another user, claiming to have experience in car dealership operations, said, “I use to work at a car dealership detail shop she telling the truth they vacuum and clean the car and they know he got it.”
Conversely, some questioned her decision to leave such a significant amount of cash unattended: “Why on earth would you not hold the money the entire time,” and another shared that sentiment, writing, “If I have that much cash, even $20, that money stays on me!! I’m not leaving it in the car, c’mon.”
This incident speaks to the broader issues of security and trust within commercial transactions, especially in settings where large sums of money are involved. Moreover, it casts a light on the strained resources of law enforcement, as discussed directly in the video regarding the limitations of forensic investigations and the prioritization of cases.
“State of West Viriginia has one lab, one forensic lab. And it’s pretty much priority based… It takes up to eight months to get a sexual assault kit back. So that tells you how bad it is here,” the officer explains, exposing the systemic challenges faced by police departments.
According to crime statistics published by the FBI, locating missing or stolen cash is a long shot. In fact, on the spectrum of stolen goods recovery, money is lowest on the totem pole with only “2.6% of property value recovered.”
Now, if the woman in the video had her physical car stolen and not the money inside of it, that ma have had a different outcome, because the law enforcement agency stated that there was a 56.1% chance stolen vehicles could be recovered
The Daily Dot has reached out to the Crime Videos account via TikTok comment.
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