‘He preyed on us': Pennsylvania woman scammed out of $45,000 in sophisticated ‘dealership cloning' scheme

Yahoo

18-05-2025

When Adrianna Parsons and her husband found a shiny Lexus SUV listed for sale on CARFAX, they thought they were in safe hands.
'It all looked very legitimate at first glance,' said Parsons, a resident of Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
The vehicle was listed for $46,000 and linked to a dealership called Specialty Auto in Lincoln, Nebraska. Concerned about buying a car from a dealership 1,400 miles away, Parsons called the number listed on the website and spoke with a man claiming to be the owner, Jim Woods.
'He played the role. He preyed on us. He knew that I was worried. My gut was telling me to stop. I didn't listen to it well enough,' she shared with ABC 6 Action News.
The man offered to send a custom video of the SUV — what Parsons called a 'cold video' — to confirm he had the car. Reassured, the couple agreed to wire $45,000. The SUV never arrived.
What Parsons didn't know was that the man wasn't the real Jim Woods — and the website wasn't legitimate. Though Jim Woods does own a dealership by that name, he told ABC 6 he doesn't sell cars online and has no internet presence. Multiple other victims have since contacted him with similar stories.
Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10)
The scam that ensnared Parsons is a sophisticated form of fraud called dealership cloning.
Scammers replicate the name, location, and even employee details of real dealerships to create convincing fake websites. They then upload fake listings to platforms like CARFAX, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist, often using stolen images and real VINs.
Despite being a trusted resource, CARFAX listings aren't immune to scams. When reached for comment, the company declined to explain how it vets dealer listings.
In a statement, it said, "If CARFAX is made aware of a potentially fraudulent listing, the team acts swiftly to investigate and remove [it].'
Since Action News began investigating, the fake Specialty Auto website has been taken down. Local police and the Nebraska DMV are investigating. The FBI has also been alerted. Still, Parsons says the loss was 'cataclysmic' for her family.
Read more: You're probably already overpaying for this 1 'must-have' expense — and thanks to Trump's tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here's how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now
As more car sales move online, so do the risks. Here's how to protect yourself:
Verify the seller: Confirm the dealership's website URL and call the dealership. Be wary of inconsistent contact details, slight misspellings or prices that are too good to be true. You can also search the dealership's name alongside terms like 'scam' or 'fraud' to find any complaints.
Avoid risky payments: Never wire money, pay with gift cards, or send cryptocurrency. Instead, use a credit card or a reputable escrow service that holds the funds until the vehicle is delivered and verified.
Get proof of the car: Ask for a custom video to prove the seller has the vehicle. Order a VIN report independently and cross-check it with photos and seller info. If buying remotely, hire an independent mechanic to inspect the vehicle in person.
Trust your instincts: If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is. In Parsons' case, her intuition told her to walk away but the scammer's smooth demeanor made her second-guess herself.
With many legitimate dealerships and platforms moving their business online, the burden increasingly falls on consumers to vet who they're buying from and whether the transaction is a possible scam.
Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it
Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead
Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now
Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.