- A man bought a $28,000 RAM 2500 from a person on Facebook marketplace.
- Two weeks later, police surrounded him and took that truck away for good.
- It turns out that it was stolen and a clone of a different Ram in another state.
Imagine paying for a new-to-you vehicle used vehicle, convinced you’ve done all your due diligence, only to discover the deal isn’t what it seemed. Instead of driving away with a clean car, you find out it’s actually stolen. That’s exactly what happened to one man in Ohio, and it’s a textbook case of what’s known as a “cloning scam.” Here’s what went down in this instance and how you can avoid falling into the same trap.
The Deal That Went Up in Flames
The victim in this case is John Turco, a well-meaning (and probably too trusting) buyer, who purchased a 2021 Ram 2500 from a private individual on Facebook Marketplace for $28,000. Before doing so though, he seemingly did everything right. That included getting three different VIN history reports from various service providers. After securing a loan for the truck, paying the seller, getting insurance and license plates, everything came crashing down.
More: Two Thieves Steal 25 Dodge Durangos from Dealers Across Michigan
As he arrived at a doctor’s appointment, Turco was surrounded by officers who delivered some unexpected news to him. “I parked in the parking lot, and I get surrounded by 6 police officers,” Turco told WLWT . One of the troopers quickly reassured him, saying, “You’re not in any trouble.”
It turns out a dealer in Tennessee noticed someone had filed for a title that belonged to a truck in their inventory. Apparently, Turco’s truck had the same VIN as the one in Tennessee, except it was a different, stolen Ram 2500. Police seized the stolen vehicle, and now Turco is left paying $450 a month for the next five years for a car he doesn’t even have. Well, at least it’s not the worst loan he could’ve gotten.
Officers had a few good suggestions about avoiding this sort of situation. First, check all of the viewable VIN numbers on the vehicle in question. The VIN sticker in the door card won’t be easy to peel up or off. “It’ll actually be hard for you to even get a fingernail underneath it,” an Ohio State Highway Police sergeant said. In addition, shoppers can use an OBDII tool to scan the vehicle’s VIN number through its onboard computer.
There are other small details to watch out for too. “In this particular case, the VIN sticker that’s up on the dashboard, just at the bottom side of the windshield, was slightly off center. Where Chrysler, when they put them in, they center them. They make sure there’s a QR code that is scannable,” the sergeant said. “So, in instances where they clone the vehicles, the people that are cloning them are typically not paying that close attention to the exact placement of the VIN.”
As much as we love a good bargain, buying from private sellers is a little like picking up a puppy from the side of the road—you’re not sure what you’re going to get, and there’s a chance you could be walking away with more than you bargained for (and not in a good way). In short, be cautious and diligent when buying from private sellers. While they often offer better prices than dealerships, buyer protections aren’t as strong in most states.
As for protecting yourself from the so-called “cloning scam”, here are a few thing you can do:
Check All the VINs: It’s not enough to glance at the VIN on the dashboard or the door card. Look at all of them. Seriously, all of them. According to an Ohio State Highway Police sergeant, you want to double-check the VIN sticker on the door card. It’s nearly impossible to peel off, and if it looks even slightly tampered with? Alarm bells. Also, a simple OBDII scan can reveal whether the VIN on the onboard computer matches up.
Spot the Small Stuff: Here’s where the scam artists screw up. The VIN sticker at the bottom of the windshield in Turco’s truck? It was slightly off-center. Big whoop, right? Well, it’s actually a huge deal. Chrysler has a specific way they center the VIN sticker, and it’s supposed to have a scannable QR code. If it’s crooked or doesn’t scan, you’ve got a problem. So, the moral of the story is: If you’re squinting at the VIN and thinking it looks a little… off, then it probably is.
Trust Your Gut—But Also Your Tools: The whole point of this isn’t to scare you into buying a new car from a dealership (though, honestly, at this point, maybe it’s worth considering). It’s about doing a little more homework before making that payment. You’ve got an OBDII tool, use it. And if you’re getting a weird feeling about the seller or the vehicle, don’t ignore it. There are plenty of ways to avoid this mess—just pay attention.