Hays Sheriff, Texas law enforcement agencies investigate ‘cloned' GMC trucks
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Hays County Sheriff's Office issued a press release Thursday to announce that they had recovered four stolen trucks that had their vehicle identification numbers (VIN) cloned.
'VIN-cloned vehicles appear to be legitimate due to the VIN returning to a vehicle that is not reported as stolen,' wrote HCSO Deputy Bryant Cuadros in the release. 'The GMC Denalis were reported stolen through the Dallas Police Department, the Houston Police Department and a law enforcement agency in Connecticut.'
Those trucks were sold on Facebook Marketplace for 'significantly below market value.' In total, the four trucks were worth $220,000, according to HCSO.
Cuadros said in the release that HCSO will investigate the thefts further, and asked for anyone with information to contact the agency at 512-393-7800. The public can also submit tips anonymously through Hays County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-324-8477.
Private seller vehicle purchases carry risks, and HCSO recommends that buyers should be cautious of seemingly good deals on social media websites. It also warned about cash offers for below market value and vehicles with out of state titles.
The HCSO Auto Theft Unit offers free appointments to inspect a vehicle's VIN, which can be made over the phone at 512-393-7814. Also, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles offers a title check tool.
HCSO also recommends searching online for the VIN to see if it belongs to a dealership, and checking that a car's 'infotainment center' has GPS activated at the time of purchase.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
These 'great' deals on Facebook are not from Amazon, Rolex or Nordstrom – they're from a network of scammers
If you've recently been tempted by a great looking advertisement on Facebook, keep scrolling. According to Cybernews, a large network of more than 4,000 domains have been impersonating dozens of popular brands in order to run fake ads across the social media site in order to tempt visitors to check out their scam websites. The aim of these threat actors is to steal money, or payment details, or both. Threat analysts at Silent Push have dubbed these scammers 'GhostVendors' because they've discovered a way to circumvent Meta's policy in order to cover their tracks. According to the researchers, the threat actors run their scam ads through Facebook Marketplace ads. 'Meta's policy dictates that any other types of ads are only saved while those ads are part of active campaigns.' That means that once the fake campaign ends, all proof of the scams vanish. Like any other 'too good to be true' style scam, the ones in this network of thousands of websites promote very, very low prices on popular products in order to tempt victims and unwary online shoppers. Silent Push found the threat actors to be impersonating high profile brands like Amazon, Costco, Lowe's, Crocs, Duluth Trading, Tractor Supply, Thrive Market, Yankee Candle, EGO Power+ Tools and more. The example given by Cybernews is an ad for Milwaukee Tools under the name 'Milaeke' that offers a toolbox for a price of $129 under the domain name wuurkf[.]com. Other ads will use keywords like 'clearance' or 'holiday celebration sale' in order to make a deal seem tempting or temporary so that shoppers will act quickly. The researchers at Silent Push say the threat actors can use a domain generated algorithm (DGA) to clone templates and reproduce the offers quickly to set up dozens of fake copies for various products across categories. Honestly, though it may sound tempting, most of your shopping just shouldn't be happening on social media in the first place. Even if you do see something that looks too good to pass up, your best bet is to note the name of the company and then independently visit their website in a web browser that you've opened yourself, and before you buy, you should first look for reviews and ratings from the Better Business Bureau or similar sites. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If you're buying something second hand, try to only pay cash or through a payment app like Venmo once you've received the item. If you're purchasing something that's being mailed, try to use a credit card and make sure to get a shipping number. That way, you can do a chargeback if you don't receive the item or get something that isn't at all like its description in the original listing. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and if an ad or social media post is trying to tempt you with a limited time offer, a countdown or some other form of pressure, it's suspicious at best. You can protect yourself as well by making sure you have one of the best identity theft protection services which will monitor your accounts for signs of fraud and other red flags, and one of the best antivirus software solutions which are also on the lookout out for suspicious websites, malicious behavior and of course, malware.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Broadway man charged with property crimes
A 28-year-old Broadway man continues getting into legal trouble for allegedly fraudulent activity with vehicles. Justin Christopher McKinney of 310 Watson Lake Drive was arrested Thursday, June 5 and held in the Lee County Jail initially without bond on three felony charges, including obtaining property by false pretense and two probation violations. On May 13, he allegedly sold a 2004 Chevy truck to Morocco G. Stutson Jr. for $4,000 when McKinney didn't have the title. According to an arrest warrant, McKinney gave Stutson an application for a lost title with the owner's name and signature when the vehicle was owned by Maria Dolores Gonzalez. Probation Officer Joshua Kelly submitted a document for a probation violation on Feb. 26, noting that McKinney was charged with crimes in Lee and Wake counties. In the Wake County case, stemming from June 1, McKinney allegedly obtained a Sony PS2 with accessories and 14 video games from Robert Lee through Facebook Marketplace, but only paid $49 of total price of $200. McKinney was arrested by the Holly Springs Police Department and posted a $1,000 bond on June 4. He also faces charges in Randolph County stemming from Dec. 4, 2024 when he allegedly traded a 2022 CF Moto CFORCE 1000 overland all-terrain vehicle and then reported it stolen. McKinney has pending charges in Cumberland County stemming from Sept. 21, 2023 for four charges, including two felonies for a notary violation and altering title. On Feb. 26, he was given a suspended six-to-17-month sentence in the North Carolina Department of Correction along with two years of supervised probation in Lee County. In that case, he pleaded guilty to obtaining property by false pretense after he used counterfeit currency to purchase a red Honda Rancher ES all-terrain vehicle valued at $1,800 from Dillion Downs. McKinney was given credit for three days in jail and ordered to pay $300 in restitution, plus attorney's fees and court costs totaling $975. He has previously listed addresses at 37 Calvary Ct. southwest of Broadway and 1112 W. 3rd St. in Siler City.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wanted felon driving spray-painted car arrested after brief pursuit: HCSO
The Brief A wanted felon driving a spray-painted car was arrested after a brief pursuit, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. During the chase, HCSO says 29-year-old James Rye Sr. did not change speeds and intentionally made no efforts to stop. Deputies used a rolling roadblock to make the arrest and Rye was taken into custody without incident. TAMPA, Fla. - A wanted felon was taken into custody on North Park Road after a brief chase on Sunday afternoon with Hillsborough County deputies. Video shows the suspect driving away from law enforcement in a red vehicle that was partially spray-painted black to avoid detection. The backstory The suspect, 29-year-old James Rye Sr., has several out-of-county felony warrants, according to HSCO. During the chase, HCSO says Rye did not change speeds and intentionally made no efforts to stop. Deputies used a rolling roadblock to make the arrest and Rye was taken into custody without incident. READ: Man charged with murder, kidnapping after deadly stabbing at park: HCSO Sheriff Chad Chronister emphasized that felons can not outrun justice. What they're saying "This individual went to great lengths to avoid capture, but thanks to the relentless work by our deputies, he couldn't outrun justice," said Chronister. "If you're a wanted felon in Hillsborough County, you will be found and held accountable." Fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer Possession of controlled substance Possession of drug paraphernalia Resisting officer without violence CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
