Fake Mechanic Cons Man Into $1.7K Car Repair Job In Bayside: NYPD

BAYSIDE, QUEENS -- A suspected conman left a Bayside driver $1,700 in the hole after he convinced the man his car needed an urgent repair, and he was a mechanic qualified to do the job - both of which turned out to be lies, police said.

Cops are now searching for the wannabe fixer upper, who allegedly identified himself as a car mechanic when he approached the 27-year-old man in a CVS parking lot at 73rd Avenue and Bell Boulevard on July 19.

The perp told the man his car's rear tire would fall off if it wasn't repaired immediately, police said. The driver agreed to let him fix it and paid him $1,700 for the job.

But he later learned - and confirmed - that his tire had never needed to be fixed, authorities said.

Police described the suspected phony as a man in his thirties with a ponytail standing at about 5-foot-8. He was last seen turning onto Bell Boulevard from the parking lot in a white Chevrolet Suburban SUV.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)

Lead photo via NYPD