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A scam that began in Southern California toward the end of 2023 seems to have made its way to the northern part of the state, according to a Northern California sheriff’s office.
The scam begins with someone pretending to be interested in purchasing a vehicle and contacting a seller, normally through either Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said on social media.
Next, the “buyer” will arrange to “inspect and test drive the vehicle.” When they arrive to complete their test drive, they will normally show up with one or two other people, according to officials.
“At some point, either during the test drive or inspection, the seller is distracted away from the vehicle while one of the persons in the buyer’s group is looking under the hood,” officials explained. They continued, “The buyer then tells the seller that they have detected a mechanical problem with the vehicle and shows the seller, who is often shocked by the discovery.”
What usually occurs during this part of the scam is that the person who came along with the “potential buyer” will tamper with the vehicle being sold.
The person attempting to complete the scam will then submit an extremely low offer on the “mechanically troubled” vehicle and get a functioning vehicle for thousands of dollars less than what it is worth.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office gave tips to help residents of California avoid falling victim to this scam in the future.
1. Meet potential buyers in a public area, such as a grocery store parking lot.
2. Don’t go alone; have a friend or family member with you during the meeting.
3. Do not leave the potential buyer alone with your vehicle (this includes the test drive)
4. If a mechanical issue is suspected, do not succumb to the pressure to drastically reduce the price until you have the vehicle inspected by a trusted mechanic. Pause the transaction until the defect can be confirmed, corrected, and/or accepted by both parties.
5. Be wary of significant “lowball” offers.
6. Complete all required DMV paperwork at the time of the transaction.
