Used Ford F-150 Purchase Serves as Cautionary Tale
As one poor college student found out the hard way, when a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
As much as we despise thieves, you’ve got to hand it to them. They just keep coming up with new and innovative ways to separate us from our money and our vehicles. And the latest used-vehicle scam, recently reported by National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), is quite the doozy. Unfortunately, we’re finding out about one thieves latest, rather ingenious method because a young, unsuspecting college student fell for it after attempting to purchase a used Ford F-150.
The victim, Anthony Callegari of Deltona, Florida, was perusing listings on the mobile app OfferUp when he came across a rather nice 2017 Ford F-150. And much to his surprise, the seller only wanted a mere $20,000 for the Crew Cab, four-wheel drive pickup. Without hesitation, he scheduled a meet-up at a local gas station to check it out. After a test drive, Callegari didn’t think twice about dishing over the cash for his birthday/graduation present to self.
But that’s when things went horribly wrong. Upon arriving at the DMV, Callegari discovered the title was fake. He tried to call the seller, but his number was disconnected. Callegari proceeded to call the police. They, along with an NICB invesigator, made even more grim discoveries. A total of three VIN plates had been glued over the original, which showed the truck was originally reported stolen back in March.
Even better, they found a GPS tracking device in the glovebox. Apparently, the thief had sold and restolen this Ford F-150 several times, simply tracking it down and using the extra key to bring it back home. Slap another VIN plate on there, and do it all over again! Now, Callegari is out both his truck and his $20,000 in cash. (Now, we have no idea why someone would give this much cash to a total stranger. But then again, this is one beautiful Ford truck, and love can make you blind, so maybe that explains it.)
It’s a disheartening tale, but one that we can certainly learn from. NICB recommends always doing a VIN check, no matter who you’re buying a truck from. And like always, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it most likely is!
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