Crooks using Facebook Marketplace to scam SoCal car buyers; officials look for more victims
EL MONTE, Calif. - Authorities across Southern California are urging more people to come forward who might have been victims of a car selling scam.
"Urgently, we need additional victims to come forward," said Sgt. Jerry Montenegro, from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. "The poor people who bought the car on Facebook were just left with no money, no vehicle, some fake documents, and a fake key for a car."
Law enforcement recently arrested three people they said rented vehicles using an app, cloned car keys and forged DMV documents before listing and selling the cars on Facebook Marketplace. After a sale, the suspects would then follow the victims and take the car back using the second key, returning the vehicle to each rental host.
"They usually have another suspect at the meetup location acting as another potential buyer," said Montenegro.
Jacqueline Alcala is one of at least 17 victims the crooks targeted. She said she and her father found an ad on Facebook for a 2019 Honda CRV.
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"He gave us a meeting point and a time," said Alcala. "The guy was a regular person. Looked humble. We just got home, and it wasn’t until then that we realized the paperwork looked fake."
Authorities said the suspects used Facebook pages full of Bible verses, prayers, and images of Jesus. According to Alcala, one suspect had a Bible with him and prayed over her and her father when they met for the car purchase. They paid the scammers more than $10,000 cash.
"He had the Bible with him, and he was just giving us prayer," said Alcala. "Like, ‘God, please bless this family, I know they’re struggling, going through life situations.’ It’s just sad he had to use that."
The 17 victims were scattered across several counties in Southern California, including Orange and Los Angeles counties. Anyone who believes they were targeted by these thieves is urged to contact the LASD.
"If it’s a deal that’s too good to be true, well below market value, that’s a huge red flag," said Sgt. Montenegro. "If you’re not getting two keys when you purchase a vehicle, that’s also a red flag. It doesn’t hurt taking a photo of the documents they're providing and taking it to the local DMV or police department and have them run those numbers up to make sure they all jive."