Friend got taken for $16g car sales scam

So a buddy up here, who just lost his wife 3 days before Christmas (cancer sucks, she was 48), found an old 1951 Dodge truck he wanted to buy. It was listed as being in Topeka Kansas. He is not a stupid guy, so was very wary of checking all the boxes to make sure he wasnt being scammed. Well, turns out, the scammer was smarter. The website shows the dealership, the dealership shows up on Google maps, he got a picture of the title in the dealers name.
But after sending payment (he's in Ontario here), the contact ghosted him and blocked his number.
Turns out the dealership doesnt own the website, someone built one and uses it (with pictures of the dealerso lot) to scam buyers.
Buddy used Google maps to determine there is a bodyshop across the road, and they knew of the dealer getting blamed for this. But on closer inspection, the phone number on the website is different than the phone number on the sign on the dealers fence.
It is sending my buddy into a pretty depressed place.

So if anyone is looking to buy a car from Joshs Superior Motors website in Topeka Kansas, call the Phone number on their fence from google maps to confirm

 

Scammers suck, and sorry about your friend. They're everywhere now-a-days and getting more clever. The FBI won't even touch the case for less than $50K

As a general warning to everyone, the $290-ish flight to Topeka, KS from Ontario is cheap insurance before sending $16k, sight unseen, to anyone for a 73 year old truck. This ones just money... but I truly hope he gets through this whole situation ok.

 

Wow, hate to hear this. I'm sure I could easily fall prey to one of these as well. Not sure what he can do, but wish your buddie the best!

 

sorry about your buddy...

 

Having lost someone at a young age due to cancer I feel
For your friend.

however a 2
Minute Google
Search on the reviews for this company would have prevented his issue.

 

No it wouldn't

 

That is insult and injury in one. But, it could happen to anyone, scams get more sophisticated everyday.

I hate it, and I doubly hate hearing about it happening to a guy going through that. Best wishes to your friend. Get him a good dog.

 

This happened to the Macomb county prosecutor here just recently

Copied his government page, Facebook, Twitter, email, linkedin, all that shit.

Total replica copying

Wild. When the scammers get better with AI I expect this to be even worse.

 

Take a look at the FB marketplace in your area for vehicles. Stuffed with fake ads at prices too good to be true. Its everywhere.

 

This one?: https://joshsuperiormotors.com/inventory/1951-dodge-power-wagon/

And here: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/escondido-1951-dodge-power-wagon/7815545701.html

(Fuzzy picture deleted)

 

Clearly some English translation red flags on that site but given what he just went through it would have been easily missed. Worth a call to the FBI

 

At some point the internet will become unusable

 

Yeah, yesterday

 

Yeah it's crazy out there.
Got a message from a friend I haven't heard from for years, saying he needs to sell his car right away, very low price on a nice car.
So I'am messaging back and forth a little, something was off, come to find out some how they took over his Facebook page. Later one of his friends told me. He's like over 80 years old.

 

Yup. Looking through the page, they even have a spot to put in all your financial details. Thats bad

 

I wired 23K last week to a total stranger across the country for a motorcycle. The lady at my bank tried to talk me out of it. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I've had a knot in my chest since. The transporter is going to send me some pics on Thursday and then I'll sleep better.

Fingers crossed I did enough due diligence because I've fallen for similar scams before. Last year I had someone vouch for a seller on a FB post for a hard to find motorcycle part. Turns out neither were real people and I tossed them an easy couple hundred bucks. That was a punch to the gut. I can't even imagine how your buddy must feel.

 

I'll take note that you did this...

 

And yet FB will ban a user for using locker room language but let fake user profiles and scam ads be created by the terrabyte. Lets not even discuss modern cell service...

 

I lost control of my fakebook account about 4 months ago. E tried everyway I could to regain control or, at least, nuke it into oblivion.....no way. Every communication I send goes to the hacker. I had a dozen items, including a couple of bikes in the marketplace. No way I have to tell if they are using them to scam others. I don't even know if it shows up as me as the seller.

 

Could have been worse...