Newport Beach Resident Concerned About Possible Scam by Impersonator Claiming to Be from Justin Bieber’s Team

Newport Beach Rental Company Falls Victim to Alleged Scam at Coachella

A Newport Beach car rental company is facing significant financial losses following an elaborate rental scheme involving four Moke electric buggies, commonly used at outdoor events like the Coachella Festival. These compact vehicles resemble golf carts and serve as popular transportation options for festival-goers.

Chad Marta, the owner of Newport Beach Moke, shared details of the incident, explaining that he initially welcomed a last-minute rental request from a man who claimed to be a concierge for a high-profile artist at Coachella. However, Marta has since grown concerned that he may never see the rented vehicles again.

“It’s terrible someone would do this,” Marta said. The man, who introduced himself as Alen, allegedly sought to rent four cars for ten days to transport Justin Bieber around the festival grounds.

Marta added that, despite the rushed nature of the rental, his team ensured the vehicles were clean, well-maintained, and fully charged before handing them over. Subsequently, an individual claiming to be Alen’s assistant collected the keys, and the vehicles were delivered to a location in Palm Desert, just a short distance from the festival venue.

Several hours later, concerns arose when Marta tracked the vehicles and noted unusual movements. “I’m watching it and tracking it heading to the 10 West and 60 and then the 215 and 15,” he stated. When his wife contacted the customer, he appeared inebriated, with loud music in the background, assuring her that everything was fine with the vehicles.

However, the vehicles were later located heading south to Tijuana before their GPS tracking was disabled. The customer has since vanished.

As the investigation proceeds, NBC Los Angeles reached out to both the rental company and Justin Bieber’s team for comment, but did not receive any responses.

“What a punch this has been; it really hurts,” Marta lamented. While the rental arrangement included a $20,000 deposit, the wire transfer failed to go through due to the last-minute nature of the request.

Now, with over $200,000 worth of cars at stake, Marta is working to replenish his inventory while the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has opened an investigation into the incident.