NYPD, DMV caution consumers about online scams involving stolen cars

Transcript

00:00Well-meaning people who are looking to buy a car answer ads on these sites.

00:05They connect with what appears to be a private seller, the person asked to meet in a public

00:11place, not a dealership, not a private home.

00:18The seller presents paperwork that looks legitimate, so the buyer pays cash, only to discover when

00:25they go to register at the DMV that the vehicle is stolen.

00:30At that point, they are out the cash, and the vehicle they just purchased is seized,

00:36so it can be returned to the rightful owner.

00:40Because the seller uses fake names, fraudulent paperwork, and meet in public places, it can

00:47be very difficult to track them down.

00:50And the innocent buyer often never sees any restitution for their financial loss.

01:21I answered the ad and met with a man who I didn't know to buy this car.

01:30We met on a public street here in the Bronx, not a place of business.

01:38And I paid $16,000 cash for the car.

01:51After I bought this car, I've been driving the car for three weeks, but then the DMV

02:12let me know that this car was stolen.

02:20I hope that others don't make the same mistake that I made, and that they can be

02:49part of this theft, and don't purchase cars on Facebook Marketplace.

03:01Even though stolen car thefts are down in New York City, criminals are still selling

03:06their stolen cars online.

03:09They're going to steal them quickly, and they want to get rid of them just as quickly.

03:12So they're going to put them up online for attractive prices, low prices.

03:18I know car prices have gone up in the last few years, so to a lot of people, they see

03:22those nice little prices, and they think it's a good deal.

03:26Most of the time, it is definitely too good to be true.