Crime & Safety

Hermosa Police Arrest Suspected Scammer

Stig Torkild Dahl, 36, is suspected of using several fraudulent bank accounts to buy cars and property.

A Norwegian man has been arrested on suspicion of opening several fraudulent bank accounts and using them to make large purchases in the area, Hermosa Beach police told Patch on Thursday.

Detectives said that Stig Torkild Dahl, 36, of Oslo, Norway has scammed banks, car dealerships, and property owners across the country—including here in the Beach Cities—out of more than $200,000.

Hermosa police were first notified about Dahl on Wednesday when a local car dealership reported that he had written a personal check to pay for the full price of a 2007 Mercedes Benz, detectives said.

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Detectives then contacted Dahl at a home in neighboring Manhattan Beach, where they found a stolen 2011 Dodge Charger in the residence’s garage, according to police.

Police reported that the vehicle had been purchased illegally in Texas and valued at $39,000. 

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The owner of the Manhattan Beach home told police that Dahl had agreed to lease the property and ultimately purchase another home in Hermosa Beach, which costs about $3 million, according to police.

Detectives found out that Dahl had created a fake company called "S & D Development," and used it to lure potential victims into believing he was a legitimate businessman, according to police.

Police said that Dahl had confessed to using fraudulent checking accounts to purchase several cars and properties across the country while visiting the U.S.—outside of Hermosa Beach, detectives suspect that Dahl has scammed others in Texas and Florida.

Anyone with information about Dahl or S & D Development is urged to contact Hermosa Beach police at 310-318-0351 or rsaldana@hermosapolice.org.


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