Fake Dealer Rips Off Buyers by Selling Nonexistent Cars

[@sparkplug5481]

Pro tip: if you see a car for sale in Minnesota and there is a palm tree in the background of the picture ….RUN AWAY!

[@BlackJesus8463]

It's cool! I'm just in the military, that's all. What's the problem? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@918Mitchell]

On craigslist they say it's in storage and if you send them money they'll have it shipped to you.

[@ateamfan42]

If you see a car for sale in Maine, and it isn't rusty, run away.

[@notsureigaf]

Yeah, you can almost always tell from the background when a scammer has just plucked a random pic from elsewhere. The scammer's counting on a least a few people being too dumb to notice, and as this story politely suggests, unfortunately they are correct.

[@TheQuickSilver101]

As someone who likes to have a good poke at a car before buying it I can't imagine buying one I can't drive first

[@akun50]

Right? This is one of the reasons why I would NEVER buy something so expensive sight unseen, especially from a non-reputable seller. At the very least, get someone to go on your behalf and look at the vehicle/house.

[@orppranator5230]

@@akun50 I can’t even imagine buying clothes without at least seeing them in person, usually without trying them on as well. Much less a car.

[@bdp-racing]

Those scammers have been operating out of Cameroon Africa. I have spent 2 years reporting them to FB and they refuse to do anything about it.

[@davidh9638]

Farcebook??

[@mikeloeven]

You want to call Interpol not FB

[@silentvoiceinthedark5665]

Ghana too

[@Bone89]

FakeBook

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

And other African countries. I've tried reporting bunches of them, but FarceBook never acts on the reports.

[@thadrepairsitall1278]

Since you mention a motorcycle in in the livingroom, it reminded me that I sometimes cook car parts in my wife's oven. She's not too happy about that either.

[@BlackJesus8463]

Volatile vapors condense, bruh.

[@ronr6450]

In college, I used to clean car parts in our dishwasher.

[@_Circus_Clapped_]

​@@ronr6450 😂😂😂

[@phillipcooper5168]

I used to put my bowling balls in the oven, and sometimes I still put boots in there

[@rationalbushcraft]

"It's in the Livingroom as god intended." Amen Steve amen.

[@918Mitchell]

I'm from Montana, I know people who've gone riding in the winter (as long as there's no ice on the road). They'll stop at a motel and pull it into the room so it starts easier in the morning.

[@waltg5165]

I was at a physical used car dealership the other day (Saturday), I had done some looking online to get an idea of pricing, etc. Anyway, I looked at a minivan they had on their webpage, nothing special, walk around sit inside, it is okay. They ask me to fill out a credit application, I look around some more and leave. I go back Monday and take the mini van for a test drive, some minor issues, they didn't clean the car that well, back up camera didn't work, but also there were strange vibrations coming from the wheels, a little bit felt like the transmission slipping a bit. I get back, go in and basically say, it is nice but shaking a little too much for my liking. The sales guy, wants to go for a ride with me, it is 100% fine. He is driving, telling me that is just how newer transmissions are (it is a 2010), then he says he thinks it might have low pressure in one tire, this guy is swinging for 1000% thinking I am an idiot, even saying it is the wheel weights, when they replaced the breaks they must have put the tires back on wrong. I am trying to be polite, we go in, I basically tell him I am going to look up the vibrations online (maybe a known issue with this particular model) and I will let him know tomorrow. He still wants me to go to their finance company (3rd party a couple miles away). He also offers me a free 3 month 4,000 mile warranty (note, that was on the window of the vehicle when I went Saturday), I also mentioned I don't drive much, really just wan something more practical, he also as a sales angle tells me, hey you don't drive much anyway, so chances are even if there is an issue, it won't happen anytime soon?! Next day comes, he calls, I politely and respectfully say, sorry I have too many concerns about the vibrations. He starts on, I had them check the air pressure and sure enough one tire was low, so you have nothing to worry about. I say sorry, I don't want to worry about the issue, it could be any number of things, if you guys want to have the car checked out and fix it, we can talk, but I am going to move on for now and maybe we will cross paths again. He doesn't want to hear that, he spent all this time with me (maybe 10 minutes including the test drive) he is assuring me there is nothing wrong with it. Once again I say that is fine but I am not interested and the warranty won't help me if the wheel falls off in 4 months, first honest thing he says impulsively, the warranty doesn't cover the wheels and tires. I try one last time to politely say goodbye, he just starts on again, so I hang up on him. A few minutes later I get a text from a the same number he just called from, that reads 'this is the finance company for (dealership name) you owe us $100 for missing your finance appointment', this doesn't make sense (I am confused), so I reply, what appointment? They say it is a $100 application fee, I said sorry, no fees or costs were mentioned to me, I will need to see something in writing. They reply if I do not pay they will bill me. I didn't reply, a couple minutes later I get a text (dealership name) paid this fee for you. I wasn't home during this, when I get home I double check anything and call the finance company (I knew it wasn't them but figured they might want to know). I tell them what happened, they ask me to send screen shots of the texts. The saving grace for the salesman he said finance company and did not use their name, obvious to everyone what he was doing, but just sleazy not illegal. What sticks in my mind, I do not know why, but this guy must have figured by my attitude, saying okay (to his explanations for the vibrating) must have meant I bought into his BS. The place is less than 2 miles away, had another 40-50 vehicles on the lot, I have some health issues so I don't mind paying a slight premium for the convenience, meaning he could have said okay I understand your concerns maybe we can find something you might be more comfortable with. I go back and most likely buy a car from them, or maybe even have a mechanic go look at the minivan. Now, there is no way I am buying a car from them. I am not going to start randomly walking up to people telling them this or showing them the texts, but when the topic comes up I will be mentioning this. It is freaking Bizarre.

[@Bob-Lob-Law]

The new Ford Elusive , the Dodge Mirage , and the Chevy Oasis have been outselling all other competitors mainly due to their incredible MPG That explains why they are never seen at gas stations So order your's today before they all disappear

[@Verifiedbyme]

Tesla's get the best MPA

[@jguillot72]

Take my money!

[@autobotjazz1972]

I would never buy a car or anything of similar value without examining it in person before I hand over payment, stick to that policy and you will shut a lot of scammers as they know they have nothing to show you and drop you and go try scam someone else.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

Yup. I've bought several out of state vehicles that I found online. For some reason, I've never bought one from an online dealer, all were private sales. One of, if not THE first questions I always ask the seller is when can I come look at it? It doesn't matter where it's located because, as a truck driver, I actually get paid to go just about anywhere. If the seller can't give me a straight answer to that simple question, I assume it's a scam and move on. The last one was actually my best find, a 1984 GMC K25. It came out of Wyoming and was a ranch owners personal truck. It has high miles because nothing is close in Wyoming but, it's rust free and, for what I paid, I can rebuild the engine and transmission when the time comes and still sell it for more than my investment. It's not for sale though.

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

​@@MikeBrown-ii3pt Nice find.

[@thadrepairsitall1278]

Wow. Just wow. I've seen some shady things at used car lots, but this takes the cake.

[@brandexample1776]

And the ice cream.

[@AeroGuy07]

In 2021 I was looking for a particular car with a particular trim package. I found a couple but the closest one to me was almost 300 miles away, but it was the exact car I wanted, right down to the color. It was at a well known German brand dealer in NE Ohio so I knew I wasn't getting scammed. The same day I talked to the dealer I got an email from someone that claimed to be the seller of the car and was I ready to put a deposit down. I had already put a deposit down and was driving up to Mentor, OH the next day to complete the sale. I compared his email to the emails I'd gotten from the dealer and of course his was a Gmail address and the ones from the dealer said they were from Audi Mentor. I played with him for about an hour before I let him know that I knew he was trying to scam me.

[@akun50]

Hope you reported the email to the dealership and the police. There's a chance they had a means of hacking the dealership's computers or, worse, they were a scammer working amongst the personnel. After all, how else would they know you'd even been considering putting a deposit down?

[@dsloop3907]

You should have told him you needed airfare to get there...took his money.

[@michaelhanson5773]

Normal dealerships are guilty of showing cars they dont have... There have been a few times i have gone to a new vehicle dealer's site and found a vehicle... Called them and turned out it wasnt actually available either it was still not delivered yet or it was currently "out" meaning an employee was actually using it for a demo or something.

[@robertcannon6028]

I love how this popped up now. I have been searching online for a few weeks now looking for a car. I even think one I was checking out was a scam. Thanks for reminding me of a few steps I have been neglecting in my search.

[@the_once-and-future_king.]

Just ask the seller to accept a video call and then do a virtual walk-around of the car. If they refuse, or constantly have an excuse why they can't, walk away.

[@BlackJesus8463]

good point 👍

[@frankhage1734]

Not only a walk-around, but ask for a look at the registration and title documents.

[@AunCollective]

I wouldn't be shocked if someone overseas who has either tricked someone or found a willing participant to be a money mule. I've heard cases where the scammer uses fake info to romance a victim, discovers the victim really needs money so gets them to accept payments for an often very small percentage of money. It's seemingly easy money until people start wanting their money back and report it.

[@LADETROIT]

Of course motorcycles and car parts belong in the living room. If you got a big enough house, even an entire car should be there😅

[@DaveBigDawg]

I purchased a motorcycle off eBay and was very confident that was over a decade ago Now , I would not buy a vehicle without actually seeing it and driving it

[@LADETROIT]

I had a lot of success in the early days of eBay. You're right. Nowadays. No way

[@boataxe4605]

If you buy a car without seeing it in person and test driving it you deserve everything that comes to you.

[@glenslick2774]

Reminds me of that time someone tried to sell me a spoon online. Turns out there is no spoon.

[@BlackJesus8463]

👏👏👏

[@shopsofcivica6395]

Was it the kid from The Matrix

[@kurtwetzel154]

Why would anyone buy a vehicle unseen baffles me. If you can't physically see it then no purchase.

[@leofredette19]

Steve, you might also suggest that people do that and then reverse the photo. I've seen people steal pictures and reverse it so left is right & right left.

[@jameswyatt1304]

A few moments with Google Maps Street View or Google Earth is almost like walking there, but you don't have to deal with the absence of legroom on commercial flights...

[@ElGoogKO]

It's not relevant. You must look at the dates. Some cities aren't updated for like 10 years. And heck, even 6 months could make a huge difference between a derelict building before, and a new owner that renovated and opened up a sparkly new place.

[@Hatbox948]

It reminds me of people who get shafted in online dating scams whereby they send money to some elusive lover who usually lives in a third world country.

[@nothanx3867]

Ask the person to send a photo of them holding the registration of the car while standing in front of the car for proof.

[@scottnelson1713]

Regarding parking a motorcycle in your living room, I had a Ducati Superbike years ago that I would have parked in my living room as an art object if I had a big enough living room, which I didn't. I followed up one time on an internet scam attempt for a motorcycle that would have been a good deal, but not obviously too good to be true. The bike was advertised in California but the seller said it was currently in North Carolina. I knew somebody in North Carolina, so asked if they could stop by to have a look. Then the story changed again and it was obviously a scam attempt.

[@johnmcclain3887]

I bought a seventies Triumph motorcycle off the internet, "ebay" last year and was pretty well pleased all around. Ebay has been fairly reliable in securing the sales and performance of sellers these days, at least in my own experience. Thanks!

[@MaryEllen505]

Hubby ordered a car online, from a dealership, in 2000. Not a common thing happening then. When we heard nothing from them for about a month, hubby called them to see what was going on. "Oh, you were serious?" They faxed us the paperwork. They discovered it was cheaper for them to buy a car from a local dealer and have it delivered than to haul a car to us from TX.... They took on the added fees the local dealerships are charged, because by then, hubby had signed a contract with our cost detailed and had paid in full.

[@marksproston3264]

Thanks so very much. I am looking for a Rolex at the moment. I am going to think more about it now. Thanks again from the Padmaster from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@BlackJesus8463]

I doubt this particular victim was as savvy as us Lehto Boiz.

[@jamessimms415]

Ben peeking over Steve’s right shoulder in front of the law books.

[@jguillot72]

It was bound to happen. I'm surprised it took this long.

[@BruceS42]

I don't keep my motorcycle in the living room! When we were shopping for RVs, all too many "toy haulers" we looked at had the toy parking in the living room, or the kitchen. We decided that just wouldn't work for us, so we got a model where we keep the motorcycle under the bed.

[@LouT1501]

Hundo just behind Steve's right shoulder

[@tony_25or6to4]

Over 10 years ago, I was shopping for a car. I found the same car in 6 different ads in 6 different states. One ad was the original and the car was sold 6 months before. The other 5 were scams.

[@maryh1421]

In the living room? Not in my house😂

[@garysgarage.2841]

I wonder what these scammers say when a potential victim just happens to live close by and wants to come see the car in person.

[@BlackJesus8463]

lie and ghost

[@herculesbrofister265]

Sorry i just sold it

[@louissanderson719]

I read a comment that these scammers might be in West Africa

[@alexnorth2452]

Seen an ad for a decent ebike the other day, easily a 4k$ bike and the ad was offering it for 27.91$ and no I am not mistaking the decimal for a comma, they were trying to sell the bike for less than 30 bucks, it was such an absurd offer I couldn't help but laugh and look into it, it had the Macy's logo in the ad, but led to a random website,I thought about contacting the email associated with the site to troll them a bit, but the contact area was soo full of typos I was sure it was fake, proceeded to attempt to report the ad through Google, and then the next day received an ad for a forklift from the same site for 82$, they know it's a scam, just don't care

[@maschwab63]

If only the Batman investigators had been sent to Maine instead of Indiana.

[@GrrrTurtle]

If I was a lawyer, I would go after every scammer with intent to put them away for life.... for TAX EVASION .

[@collinsmith9941]

My brother owns a used parts business and has had a bunch of problems with people duplicating his website and taking deposits for parts, then since the fake scammers don’t have a phone number they’ll call my bothers business and say he has screwed them over.

[@SadPuppySoup]

I know people that buy stuff online and if they get ripped off they just write it off, even a buddy who got 2k stolen thinking he was buying car parts on market place, he did get a nice brick but not the turbo. How do you just throw away money like that I'll never understand.

[@rc01010101]

Like all scams online they're always looking to hit the person who foolishly doesn't recognize red flags and can be completely duped. Buying, selling the scammers are all over the place. Every time I run an ad anywhere online I get scammers trying their various stories.

[@grimmsalem]

I think this problem will get worse as ai image generation gets better because if someone wants to sell something they done have they can generate an image that cant be reverses image search. And if the buyer ask for a specific angle of the object while having a banana in the picture to help prove its real well they can just tell the AI to add that to the image.

[@sharkysmachine9248]

Selling Batmobiles ..... as soon as I can get them😂😮

[@daddyharry6065]

Where else should one park a motor cycle but in the lounge room? 🤔🤣🤣🤣

[@howardwilburn9066]

I can't understand how anyone would buy a car sight unseen.

[@terryjwood]

My brother found pictures of his own classic car on a Canadian website. It was listed as for sale. He called the RCMP and let them know that some sort of scam was going on. They, of course, wanted to know how he could be sure it was a photo of HIS car. He assured them that the house in the background was HIS house, and that he had taken the photo himself. He got the chance to ask them if it was true that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police always get their man. The officer laughed and assured him that they always TRY.

[@streetcop157]

We had a local who would take cars from dealerships on consignment, sell them, pocket the cash and never do the transfer. After a couple of months the dealerships began repoing the cars or the purchasers began trying to force the transfer….. finally the court told the dealers that the guy was acting as their agent. Period full stop. They had to complete the transfer and pursue the guy civilly and criminally but the people who had bought the cars were entitled to them. Every time he gets out of jail it just repeats. Funny note the guy showed up at city hall one day to complain that I had slandered him by calling him a thief….. my response was you just are. We had convicted him a week earlier for stealing water from the city……it’s only slander if it isn’t true

[@billchmelik5697]

"As God intended" lol, lived next to a MC leader, he rode his bike in the front door all the time.

[@AFRO_KEEN]

A lot of these money scams are coming from overseas, where the U.S. has no jurisdiction. There is an inspection service that you can check on the vehicle. One in particular, it is called a lemon detector. They go out and verify the condition of the car.

[@charlescouncill]

This also applies to firearms. There are websites devoted to selling non-existent guns.

[@roninsc]

If the bike is still in the living room today…..where’s the wife today?

[@shekharmoona544]

What if people start selling cars in the metaverse!

[@ElGoogKO]

This seller confused meta with real life. He meant to post it for sale there...hue hue hue

[@robertc.9503]

There'd have to be people actually using the metaverse first.

[@rdbuckels]

When looking at Google maps street view, always check the copyright date. It's on the screen. In my little town, the street view date is 2009. Just to let you know, those views aren't always up-to-date. The car dealership you are looking at might not be there anymore.

[@joshuagibson2520]

Same here. I live in a remote part of TN. Morgan Co. Our images are also 2009. I also can't zoom in as much detail than if I was viewing Knoxville or anywhere else metro.

[@roxcyn]

Wow I'm surprised Google hasn't updated them since 2009. Ours are usually updated every few years.

[@stevemorris270]

"They act like the don't exist" because they don't!

[@dr.who2]

I would not send anyone a dime till i see the vehicle for my own eyes in real time

[@gailwatson4927]

I would never buy a car without first seeing the car.

[@OpenCarryUSMC]

I have an acquaintance that has an OLD (very early) Indian in his living room. It is prominently displayed over his fireplace mantle. Oh yeah, he doesn’t have a wife to negotiate with.

[@lilsuzq32]

Ben Hundo's standing upright, below the Hillsborough book (look straight down from the front tire of the Tucker 48)

[@franksnowboarder]

Surprisingly the police looked into it. Oh, the cops typically refuse.ti investigate these crims

[@spacemissing]

Buyers who don't practice due diligence deserve to lose their money. as for putting a motorcycle in your living room: Nope, that's where the 6-foot tall, 3-foot wide speakers need to be.

[@michaelgarrison688]

First Google the name. I was looking for a washing machine and found one online. I Googled the name and found out that she passed away 3 years prior. Since I am disabled and had nothing better to do, over the next 4 days, I wasted his time. Hopefully I saved at least one person from being scammed.

[@patrickjordan2233]

An "incentive"/imaginary (fraudulent) inventory control system...

[@bbaaspencer1]

The 1970 SS Chevelle In mint condition for $5,000 didn’t sound suspicious? 🙄

[@bipolarbear722-vn4fn]

No different than our stock market. They sell non existent shares all the time to crash the price.

[@waltermorris5786]

Ain't no way I am buying a car, sight unseen

[@randefriedman7307]

Why would a person spend thousands on a car without having a mobile inspection done?

[@junit483]

A fool and his money are soon parted

[@campkohler9131]

The motorcycle is still in the living room, but the wife is gone. 😁

[@jesstreloar7706]

Wives don't like car parts in the dish washer, either.

[@justskip4595]

3:40 it used to work great years ago but now it is barely usable sadly. I seem to remember that there was some litigation behind the gutting of its functionality.

[@hannamariewilson]

Just talking about how comfortable people are buying drugs online and shipping through the mail. Crazyyy

[@tbobtrasman4875]

No, the first thing you do is "Street View" the address and if the business is not in the picture call the neighboring businesses and ask if the business is real.

[@MichaelHagberg]

Ok, so the motorcycle is still in the living room. The question is, "Is his wife still living there?"

[@georgespalding7640]

Never buy a car without touching it, inspecting it and driving it. Now if you're a rich dude and you want to play that game, then you better hire an inspector before that transaction and it's shipped to you.

[@harriettedaisy2233]

It not always expensive. I know a local mechanic that will inspect cars for a $250 fee. He goes anywhere up to 20 miles away and sends a report and images. He mostly does classics but will do a newer car occasionally.

[@paul.van.santvoord1232]

Spending thousands and not checking streetview? And there are motorcycles which are art.

[@JamesAmbrose48]

In his living room as God intended 😂

[@DusalisDrake]

That’s a mighty expensive jpg

[@Zmoore45]

Steve is right never buy sight un seen. I got burned once bad, 200 something pictures and everything

[@dsloop3907]

Ben is standing behind his right shoulder.

[@jamesbarton1969]

They do the same thing with purebred puppies that can go 1500, 2000 or more. They offer very good deals.

[@tcaldwe]

Video chat would also be great. If they decline then back away

[@richardplinston9488]

@"The bike is still there (the living room)", Yeah but the wife isn't!!

[@earlwheelock7844]

Its bleeding on rhe CARPET!!!😣😣😣😣

[@johninnc9893]

Hi Steve, KZbin seems to have resurrected your "Crazy Town" episodes in which you promised to post an epilogue but I (and, apparently, a lot of other people) can't seem to find one. Please advise. Thanks!

[@67cudaksa34]

there are services that do not charge much and will inspect the car, boat or motorcycle and verify its real. And they can be there when its transported

[@ColeSta]

What is the name of the company that Steve promotes that takes cases and helps David fight Goliath. I wanted to recommend it somewhere.

[@bryanwilliams847]

Institute for Justice, he has mentioned them a few times this last week. I doubt they would go after these scams, they usually handle government overreach

[@KCMedia33]

Takes two minutes to research the dealer.

[@anthonyhumbert8787]

There are companies that verify auto listings. They go to the location and actually verify 1 it's real 2 it's as described.

[@jamesgorman5241]

I imagine Maine wouldn't be the best place for classic cars given road conditions.

[@jimbeam2501]

In the living room as God intended. 😂

[@Geno5]

You have to give them an A for effort.

[@craigg4925]

You can always face time with the person, that way you know they are real, and they can show you all the info you need. if not, they may not be real.

[@BlackJesus8463]

You a long way from Canada boi!

[@anonymustly7818]

There are many things I would not buy on the 'net. Car is one of them.

[@AFRO_KEEN]

The dealer would have to be licensed in the particular state to sell cars there. You can check to see if the dealer is licensed. It sounds like theft by trick to me.

[@rustycarter8969]

Sad part is if you go there to buy this stuff your libel to end up losing your money to civil asset forfiture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@RealJonDoe]

But where is his wife?!

[@twistybeard4703]

LoL Is it compulsory for people of a certain age to have a project bike in the front room? I had a Kawasaki z250cc frame and engine under a dining table in the living room of my second story flat for a long time. The front forks and wheels were in a shed downstairs. I used to keep a table cloth on the table to hide it when it wasn't being worked on. My better half never complained about it, but was very happy when I sold it.

[@spikes1529]

"its still there BTW...." the motorcycle or his wife?

[@adjwindu70]

How do you use reverse Google search on a photo?

[@Rowgue51]

Reverse image searching on photos of cars doesn't work as well as with photos of people. The car would have to be very unique in order for you to get any meaningful results. Especially with more modern cars from dealers because many of them use stock photos of a certain make/model of car and not photos of the actual car they're selling. I'm not sure why anybody would buy a car sight unseen from across the country without some more due diligence though. If you're going to be buying a car that way at a minimum you should be having the seller do a live video call with you showing every inch of the car inside and out, pointing out any scratches/blemishes/etc, verifying the VIN, mileage, and showing you a view of the outside of the dealership with the name and address of the dealership visible.