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While basketball fans across the country gear up for another season, thieves in Alberta have their eyes set on another kind of Raptor.

Mounties say three of the high-horsepower Ford F150 pickups have been stolen from cities in this province recently, given new fraudulent VINs and sold to unsuspecting victims.

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“In all cases the purchasers stated that they completed Lien checks, Carfax, or Carproof checks which were unable to inform the purchaser that the vehicle was re-vinned,” a news release from the RCMP reads, noting the used trucks are worth in the region of $80,000.

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Police did not indicate what model year the vehicles stolen were, but a 2023 Raptor features twin turbos helping to generate 450 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque (a brand new Raptor is also priced closer to $110,000). By comparison, a base $49,000 F150 XL model starts with 290 hp and 265 ft.-lbs. of torque.

The victims were located in the Calgary and Edmonton areas.

Officers are investigating and used the string of thefts to warn the public to take precautions when buying a vehicle privately. They included a few tips:

The RCMP is asking anyone with information about similar crimes to contact local law enforcement. Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online and via text.

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