DETROIT – They’ve been working in packs of five outside the rear perimeter of Little Caesars Arena on Cass Avenue.
Aggressive parking scammers were caught on camera Tuesday night as people were parking for the Red Wings game.
They aggressively approach cars and demand to know if drivers have a parking pass, then offer to allow them to park on the street or a dirt lot for $45. They take the money and attendees go inside, thinking they have legitimately parked -- only to find a hefty parking ticket on their car.
Harry Kefalonitis, who owns the iconic Harry’s Detroit, has had it with the scammers that his parking lot attendants are always trying to run off.
“It’s constant, it’s a nuisance and it happens every single time there’s an event,” Kefalonitis said.
Some of the scammers even have fake badges and claim to work for Harry’s or LCA, but they don’t.
There have been so many complaints that Detroit police and the city are launching a parking task force just in time for Tigers Opening Day. The task force will run all year.
“To those that are doing this, I implore you to stop. We will find out who you are and hold you to the full extent of the law,” said police Cmdr. Franklin Hayes.
Some parking scam red flags, according to Detroit police: Official parking attendants will have city identification, they can’t wave you in from the middle of the street and nobody can force you to pay to park on the street or alley.