I wrote last week in my Auto Roundup segment about a Los Angeles millionaire CEO who got bilked out of over 5 million dollars trying to buy a rare Mercedes-Benz. It can happen to anyone, but there are places you are more likely to get ripped off than others. From my experiences, you should proceed with extreme caution when looking at late model cars listed on craigslist.com, CarGurus.com, and in particular Facebook Marketplace.
As always: If a nice car is undervalued online, it is likely a scam of some sort. The people who list these vehicles are very good at what they do, they are very convincing and seem completely legitimate.
Lessor expensive cars on these websites are plentiful, and if extreme caution is taking, either buying or selling a car, it can work out OK. I have written about this in the past regarding craigslist, but you can also expand the advice to include many other websites as well. You can read my advice column here →
Here is a recent interesting case out of Corona, California as reported by the Corona Police Department. This one involves an unsuspecting buyer who thought he or she was getting a “bargain” and purchased a vehicle that the scammer had rented through the Turo website. This incident backs up everything I’ve said about buying a vehicle online from a private seller. You don’t have any risk buying from a CarPro Approved dealership.
On February 26th, 2025, the Corona Police Department apprehended two individuals involved in an elaborate vehicle fraud scheme after a victim reported being scammed out of $23,000.
The victim found a vehicle listing on Craigslist and communicated with the seller. After reviewing what appeared to be legitimate DMV paperwork at a local bank, the victim paid $23,000 for the vehicle. The victim later discovered the registration documents were fraudulent.
An investigation revealed the seller had rented the vehicle via the Turo app and forged the title he presented to the victim. The department’s Investigative Services Division took over the investigation, while the victim also continued to assist and located a similar advertisement online. Investigators were able to corroborate that it was likely the same offender and arranged to meet the suspect.
The subject, later identified as Sebastian Flores, arrived in another vehicle he was attempting to fraudulently sell and was detained without incident. A records check revealed an active felony warrant for conspiracy and auto theft. Evidence confirmed the fraudulent nature of the paperwork Flores possessed.
The department’s Flex Team and detectives stopped another vehicle leaving the scene who was believed to have arrived with Flores. The driver, Lasso Floris, had a felony warrant for trafficking stolen vehicles. Both suspects were transported to the Corona Police Department, where they were formally booked on multiple felony charges, including conspiracy, auto theft, and fraud.
Both suspects allegedly reside in Phoenix, Arizona, but have ties to the Southern California area. Flores and Floris also have extensive criminal histories for similar crimes, and it is likely there are additional victims. If you believe you have been victimized by either suspect, we urge you to contact your local law enforcement agency. The Corona Police Department would also like to remind the public to verify vehicle documentation with the DMV before completing any transactions.
Photo Credit: Mykola Korolkov/Shutterstock.com.
