Buying and selling a used car online is easier and more seamless than ever. Companies like Vroom (VRM) – Get a free report and Carvana allow customers to electronically complete and sign some forms from the comfort of their own computers and receive their new ride or say goodbye to their trusted machines, within the same week.
Although they advertise a simple process, that process might be too simple. In fact, it could be quite easy for criminal elements to take advantage of.
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An Atlanta man named Anthony Williams purchased a Ram 1500 Big Horn pickup truck from Carvana. (CVNA) – Get a free report in August 2022, only to have the car confiscated by police a year later claiming it was a stolen car.
Williams told his WSB-TV, local ABC affiliate who was baffled by the discovery, especially since he went through a seemingly legitimate process to purchase the car.
“I had a Carfax in the vehicle. She went through the degree. I had my tag,” Williams told WSB-TV.
The Georgia Department of Revenue told the local ABC affiliate that in the case of Williams’ Ram 1500, the tag office had no way to detect fraud. The thieves who initially stole the truck used a real vehicle identification number (VIN) and a real title number belonging to another similar Ram, along with other falsified documents.
In their report, investigators found discrepancies in the documents, including the font and wording used. Additionally, when police and Williams took a closer look at the truck, they noticed that there were two different VIN numbers on the dashboard, but the real one was under the hood.
Williams told local reporters that the ordeal itself was embarrassing, since it all happened in front of his neighbors.
“The neighbors look at me like, ‘OK, what’s going on there?’ Was your vehicle repossessed? Are you carrying out any illegal activities? It was pretty horrible for me,” Williams said.
What motivated investigators was a major error on the vehicle’s Carfax. On the same day that Carvana put Williams’ Ram on sale, the vehicle whose identity he assumed was being repaired in Florida. Additionally, the reported mileage of both cars that day was also different.
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Williams turned to WSB-TV’s investigative team after spending a month trying to get a refund from Carvana. The company returned Williams’ money and also issued a statement saying these cases are rare.
“In this unusual case, Carvana and our client were victims of a sophisticated criminal act. “Customer experience is our top priority and we are taking steps to address this rare case, while remaining aggressive in our efforts to protect future customers from bad actors.”
This is not the first time Carvana has sold a stolen car. In March 2023, an Army veteran named Jason Scott I bought a used Maserati Levante. as a gift for his wife until he discovered it had been stolen. He is suing Carvana for $1 million in damages and an apology from the company.
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