How a flat tire scam in Colombia can lead to costly car repairs
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Beware the Flat Tire Scam in Colombia – It Could Cost You Thousands!
In Bogotá, police shut down a tire-repair shop linked to scams where vandals puncture tires and overcharge for repairs. Saboteurs strategically spread sharp objects on the streets, leading unsuspecting motorists into a trap. As complaints surge, authorities are intensifying their crackdown on both the puncturers and the mechanics who profit from this deceitful scheme. The situation demands vigilance and awareness among drivers.
www.npr.org
In Bogotá, Colombia, getting a flat tire has become a frustrating ordeal, often orchestrated by tire-puncturers. These saboteurs strategically spread sharp objects on the streets, leading unsuspecting motorists into a trap.
6 Key Takeaways Bogotá faces tire-puncturing scams.
Saboteurs use sharp objects on roads.
Motorists often overpay for repairs.
Police target colluding tire-repair shops.
Complaints about scams have surged recently.
Mechanics profit from multiple flat repairs.
On June 26, 2025, police temporarily shut down an auto services shop for allegedly collaborating with these criminals. As complaints surge, authorities are intensifying their crackdown on both the puncturers and the mechanics who profit from this deceitful scheme.
Fast Answer: Bogotá’s tire-puncturers exploit motorists, prompting police action against colluding mechanics, highlighting a growing issue of urban sabotage.
This alarming trend raises questions about public safety and trust in local services. How can motorists protect themselves from such scams? The situation demands vigilance and awareness among drivers.
Motorists are often targeted by opportunistic criminals.
Authorities struggle to catch puncturers in the act.
Colluding mechanics contribute to the cycle of deceit.
The rise of tire-puncturing scams in Bogotá poses a serious threat to urban mobility and public safety, warranting immediate attention from authorities and citizens alike.
As the situation evolves, it’s crucial for drivers to stay informed and cautious. Awareness can be the first line of defense against these cunning scams.
How a flat tire scam in Colombia can lead to costly car repairs
Vandals spread sharp objects on busy streets to damage car tires. Then, they offer to lead motorists to nearby mechanics who are suspected of being in on the scam. These flimflam men are known as pinchallantas, Spanish for “tire-puncturers.” Bogotá officials and police have launched a crackdown, but because the con men move fast, it’s hard to catch them in the act of puncturing tires, they say.. Authorities are targeting tire-repair shops that motorists have flagged for their suspected collaboration with pinch allantas. They say they may fix 30 or so flat tires per day, which can add up to hundreds of dollars.
John Otis for NPR
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Getting a flat tire is frustrating, but in the Colombian capital of Bogotá, it can be even more maddening because it is frequently the work of saboteurs.
Aboard motorcycles, these vandals spread sharp objects on busy streets to damage car tires. Then, they offer to lead marooned motorists to nearby mechanics who are suspected of being in on the scam, allegedly making more holes in the tires and then overcharging for repairs.
These flimflam men are known as pinchallantas, Spanish for “tire-puncturers.”
“They did it to me,” says Óscar Villanueva a Bogotá architect. “A guy on a motorcycle came up to me and said: ‘Your tire is low on air. You need to get it patched.’ But he was the one who made the holes.”
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Pinchallantas have perfected the practice. Videos on social media show them weaving through traffic on motorcycles with sharp objects attached to their ankles that they release by stomping the pavement in front of cars.
An embedded nail usually creates a slow leak in a tire that may take hours to go flat. So, they often litter the roads with sharp, tube-shaped pieces of metal that cause tires to deflate immediately.
Bogotá lawyer Felipe Gallo says that because frazzled motorists are usually anxious for a quick fix so they can get back on the road, they are easily suckered into overpaying.
“When they fix the tire, they make more holes and then they say to you: ‘Hey, you have four holes,’” says Gallo, who paid about $150 for a recent repair job. “For that price, I could have bought new tires.”
John Otis for NPR
Pinchallantas have plagued Bogotá for years. But recently there has been a surge of citizen complaints about the practice, often numbering more than 100 per month. Reports about pinchallantas have become a staple of TV newscasts, which also warn motorists about trouble spots in Bogotá.
Bogotá officials and police have launched a crackdown, but because the con men move fast, it’s hard to catch them in the act of puncturing tires. Instead, authorities are targeting tire-repair shops that motorists have flagged for their suspected collaboration with pinchallantas.
During one recent raid, the shop owner got into a heated debate with police officers, and denied any wrongdoing. The police temporarily closed him down, saying his business permit and other paperwork were out of date.
Sabotaging motorists in order to patch their tires may seems like a convoluted way to strike it rich. But rather than one big payoff, Bogotá security official Juliana Sáenz says that unscrupulous mechanics count on a steady stream of victims. She says they may fix 30 or so flat tires per day, which can add up to hundreds of dollars.
Gallo, the lawyer, points out that Colombian swindlers are always coming up with outlandish ways to shake people down. He says: “People have a lot of imagination.”