Fake Justin Bieber rep pulls off $200,000 Coachella EV rental heist

Rental company owner says the scam involved a last-minute request for four luxury electric vehicles to transport a music star.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 10:47pm

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An extreme close-up of a luxury electric vehicle key fob reflecting a bright, harsh light, conceptually illustrating the theft of the vehicles.A scammer's brazen theft of luxury electric vehicles exposes the risks rental companies face at high-profile events.Coachella Today

A scammer posing as a representative for pop star Justin Bieber tricked a luxury electric vehicle rental company in California into handing over four high-end EVs worth an estimated $200,000 for an alleged Coachella music festival appearance that never materialized.

Why it matters

The brazen theft highlights the risks rental companies face from sophisticated scams targeting high-profile events, as well as the challenges of verifying the legitimacy of last-minute requests from apparent celebrity entourages.

The details

According to the rental company owner, the scammer called the night before the Coachella music festival requesting four luxury electric vehicles to transport a "headliner" performer. While the owner said this type of request was not unusual, the caller was able to provide convincing details that made the rental company believe the request was legitimate. The vehicles were then picked up by individuals posing as members of the star's team and never returned.

  • The scam occurred the night before the 2026 Coachella music festival.

The players

Chad Marta

The owner of the luxury electric vehicle rental company that was targeted in the scam.

Justin Bieber

The pop star whose name was falsely used by the scammer to obtain the rental vehicles.

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What they’re saying

“The night before, we get a call for a last-minute request -- four cars to go to Coachella for the headliner. Which is not an out-of-the-ordinary request at all. We've done it a lot of times.”

— Chad Marta, Rental company owner

What’s next

Police are investigating the incident and attempting to identify the individuals involved in the scam.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for rental companies to exercise caution and implement robust verification procedures, especially when receiving last-minute requests from apparent celebrity representatives, in order to protect against sophisticated fraud schemes targeting high-profile events.