For Oak Creek resident Melinna Posey, the nightmare of having her car stolen did not end in the parking lot. It moved online.
Posey says her 2018 Dodge Durango SRT was swiped early Sunday from her apartment complex, then promptly turned into leverage on social media. The person who took it, she says, contacted her on Facebook using an account under the name “Badbacking Allday,” sending photos of her SUV and its license plate.
According to Posey, the sender demanded $400 via CashApp or digital gift cards and tried to arrange a meetup to return the vehicle. She says personal items from inside the Durango, including a child’s car seat and stroller, were tossed out, and that the SUV is the family’s main set of wheels.
As reported by TMJ4, Posey had posted on social media looking for tips after the theft. That is when she says the direct messages started coming in, showing her car, the license plate and the demand for payment. The sender allegedly warned they would scrap the Durango if she did not pay. Posey says she has turned over the screenshots and photos to investigators, and the Oak Creek Police Department is now investigating both the theft and the online contact.
Police Warnings And Scam Tactics
Oak Creek police have already been telling residents to watch out for schemes that pressure people to pay up quickly, especially with hard-to-trace methods such as gift cards or cryptocurrency. In a Facebook post, the department stated, “police do not accept gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency,” according to Hoodline. That warning tracks closely with the payment options Posey says were demanded in her case and is part of why officers urge anyone facing a sudden request for money to stop and verify before sending a dime.
Residents are being advised to call the department directly using the city-listed nonemergency number if they receive suspicious messages or calls, instead of responding to the person making the demand.
Local Enforcement And Broader Trends
Closer to home, Milwaukee-area task forces have been going after organized auto-theft crews and recently recovered key fob replicators and multiple stolen vehicles during a sweep, as FOX6 News Milwaukee reported. Nationally, vehicle-theft totals dipped in 2024 after earlier spikes, according to the Insurance Information Institute, but officials say technology tools and organized groups are still fueling thefts of specific high-value models.
Detectives say fast reporting from victims and solid tips from the community remain crucial to getting stolen vehicles back and building cases against theft rings.
“I want people to be aware that this can happen,” Posey told TMJ4. She says she hopes going public about her ordeal will serve as a warning to others and notes that she has reported the incident to Oak Creek police, who are continuing to investigate.
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