Huh? Site helps crime victims reach out to 'rats'

PHOENIX - When David Van Wie began to see coin-operated machines at his Phoenix car wash being vandalized and stolen, he decided to try something new to see if he could get them back.

He created a unique website .

"There's somebody that knows the guy that did this," he said. "I go to the site, I enter in what was stolen, I post a couple of pictures, and I put the word out."

Ratoutyourfriends.com allows victims of crimes to post information about the incident and offer "rats" a reward for speaking up. The hope is that someone who knows about a crime sees it online, and comes forward with information.

"They can communicate with you back and forth anonymously and let you know what information they have," Van Wie explained.

Staff at the website help the rat get paid and the victim get the information they need.

"We broker that deal for you and make sure that you get the information or your property back and also make sure that the reward is given to the person that gave you that information," Van Wie said.

After only a couple of weeks, the site is gaining momentum as people who have lost  something try to get it back.

"From electronics to home burglaries to automotive burglaries and the list goes on and on," Stan Mirza, manager at In and Out Lube said. "As word gets around that if you did lose something, hopefully you get it back in a short amount of time."

Would you "rat" out a friend who had committed a crime? Let me know on my  ABC15 Facebook page.