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Over 100 Car2Go vehicles stolen in Chicago

Over 100 Car2Go vehicles stolen in Chicago

Daimler calls it "an instance of fraud."

Thieves targeted Daimler's Car2Go car-sharing program in Chicago, Illinois. The German company has suspended the service in the Windy City as police investigate the crime, and attempt to locate the missing cars.

On Wednesday, April 17, Daimler announced some of the vehicles in its Chicago Car2Go fleet were rented fraudulently. It didn't explain how they were obtained, or the type of vehicles that were stolen. Car2Go's Chicago fleet includes the Smart ForTwo, the Mercedes-Benz CLA, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. It sounds like thieves were more interested in the Mercedes compacts than in the diminutive Smart.

"Due to the information provided by the company, numerous vehicles have been recovered and persons of interest are being questioned," the Chicago Police Department told Automotive News in a statement. It added that most of the cars recovered were found on the West Side of Chicago, and that about 100 cars are still unaccounted for. No one has confirmed the exact number of missing cars, however.

Additional information has since trickled in from a variety of sources. CBS Chicago reporter Brad Edwards wrote on his personal Twitter account that many of the stolen cars were used to commit crimes. He added that 12 people are in custody, but The Verge learned that number has since grown to 16.

Daimler stressed the thieves were after cars, and that its service wasn't hacked. "Clarification: We were not hacked. This is an instance of fraud, isolated to Chicago, and we are currently working with law enforcement. None of our member's personal or confidential information has been compromised," Car2Go wrote on Twitter.

There's no word yet on when Car2Go will resume. The service remains operational outside of Chicago.