TARRANT COUNTY (WBAP/KLIF News ) – The Tarrant County Sheriffs Office is warning residents about an increase in reports of a scam involving innocent private purchases of stolen GM Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks. Investigators said in the majority of the cases, Spanish-speaking victims are the target.
Sheriff Bill Waybourn said the fraudsters are using social media to reel victims in.
“It’s cash deals and it can be up to $50,000. They have a title, they have a key, they have a bill of sale and they exchange the money and they don’t realize until they get back to the tax office to get their tags and all of a sudden its a stolen car,” he said.
Investigators have recovered 15 to 20 of the stolen trucks. The Sheriff advises residents to watch out for certain red flags regarding private sales.
“The first red flag is to watch out for unbelievable deals… if it’s too good to be true it probably is. The second thing is if they’re not willing to met you at a safe zone like a police department parking lot then that would be a second red flag. The third thing is if the seller being pushy and insistent on you doing a cash deal,” he said.
Other tips include:
- Use an established (reputable) car dealership, when possible, rather than relying on private sales negotiated online and through social media websites.
- Be suspicious of online profiles that were recently created and show no prior sales histories or reviews.
- Be cautious of a seller with no fixed address, place of employment or phone number.
- Try to get a photo of the seller, their identification card and a description/license plate of the vehicle they arrive or leave in. If the seller is hesitant, be suspicious and trust your gut
- Check to ensure the VIN plate is present, secure and unaltered. If in doubt about plate authenticity, check with a new car dealer who handles the same model or contact a law enforcement agency.
- Vehicle histories and reports are valuable, but only if the VIN displayed on the vehicle truly belongs to the vehicle being sold.
- Check “official” documents carefully and look for misspellings, alterations, mismatched identification numbers and names, etc.
- Request to meet sellers at a “safe exchange zone” at your local police department or at a DMV parking lot, either of which may deter potential criminals.
The investigation is a partnership between the Tarrant County Regional Auto Task Force and several local law enforcement agencies.
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