Diane Hawks, Somerset, CA (March 16, 2025) –
SELLERS BEWARE!!
There is a new SCAM in town and it presented itself to us today. Thankfully we caught on after awhile and have some stubborn ways when it comes to making desperate decisions!
We have a truck for sale, an interested party of three shows up from Sacramento this afternoon.
I wasn’t home at the time.
The three were left unattended with the truck for a brief moment while Scott put away the dog and then they worked fast like little gremlins to create problems with the truck!
The test drive was unusually short like literally barely up our road before they said they had to have it and didn’t need to drive it anymore. They were ready to buy now flashing a wad of hundred dollar bills saying they have the cash.
While they were left alone, they managed to spray oil under the hood and all over the engine and, also shot some oil up the tail pipe and poured it on the ground at some point. Then disconnected a sensor for the air filter which triggered the engine light.
These events were all unknown to us at the time. I passed them on our driveway as they were leaving. But then the guy got out and started walking up behind my Jeep. He blurts out, how about $3,000? I was like huh? Then Scott filled me and and said he couldn’t believe the bad luck we had as a buyer was here. He told me the unfortunate news about how it “appeared” that we had a blown motor. The the guy impatiently says, how about $4,000? I then said no $10,000!! He said, how about $5,000? Getting irritated, I again said no. So they leave. They get up the road and call Scott within minutes. How about $6,000? Scott told them no, we are firm on $10,000 with the blown motor. We are asking $16,000.
We were both perplexed. How could this all happen???!! None of it made any sense. We looked up what a head gasket and/or engine replacement would cost and it’s not cheap. And as the wheels turned, that’s exactly why myself and a few other people we talked to came to the same conclusion. It was a SCAM!!!
Here’s why…. The red flags are abundant.
1. Several people showed up making distractions easy.
2. One guy kept flashing a wad of cash
3. No test drive needed
4. A perfectly running truck suddenly has issues.
5. There is nowhere the oil could have come from under the hood. Everything was sealed.
6. No way could a bunch of oil pour out of the tail pipe. It would have burned up and would have been smoking out the exhaust pipe.
7. Guy was super desperate to buy a non-running vehicle.
8. Guy kept making stupid offers hoping we would be happy someone still wanted a broken truck.
9. We later found the air filter sensor unplugged as well as the cap to the coolant off.
10. None of it made any logical sense.
But while all of these things may seem obvious now, they took advantage of our anxiety at the moment when we really thought there was a problem.
You just never know. We want to trust that there are still many good people out there, but sometimes I have my doubts.
I am happy to report that the truck is all cleaned up, sensor plugged back in, and engine light off and is in perfect working order.
Lessons learned!
I would not be surprised if they called again with another offer.
This tactic aligns with reports from neighboring counties. According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, similar scams have been reported in Nevada, El Dorado, Sacramento, and Placer counties, where suspects tamper with vehicles during inspections to deceive sellers into accepting lower offers.
In a related case, a man from California nearly lost $8,000 when buyers tampered with his vehicle by pouring water into the oil filler cap, causing the car to smoke during their inspection. Fortunately, he detected the deceit before finalizing the sale.
Red Flags for Sellers:
- Multiple individuals arriving to inspect the vehicle, creating potential distractions.
- Buyers displaying large sums of cash to pressure a quick sale.
- Unusually short or declined test drives.
- Sudden mechanical issues arising during the buyer’s inspection.
- Buyers exhibiting urgency or impatience, coupled with significantly reduced offers.
Preventive Measures:
- Never leave potential buyers alone with your vehicle.
- Verify the credentials of the buyers and document their identification.
- Conduct thorough inspections before and after test drives.
- Be cautious of buyers who discourage professional inspections or exhibit undue haste.
Authorities urge sellers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to local law enforcement. By staying informed and cautious, residents can protect themselves from falling victim to such fraudulent schemes.
For more insights into this kind of scam, watch the following news report:
