Latest news with #SellMax
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Arkansas woman targeted by ‘smoking car' scam after listing car on Facebook Marketplace
Renee Junkin and her father thought they had found the perfect buyer for her 2011 Jeep Wrangler after listing it on Facebook Marketplace, but what started as a typical sale quickly turned into a financial nightmare. She says the two men pulled up and began chatting about the car, but then she noticed more people involved. 'They had my daughter's demeanor, I mean everything about her' Morrilton couple targeted by scam impersonating daughter 'We talked for a minute, and when I went around the Jeep, I saw three other people inside the SUV they arrived in,' Junkin said. After a short test drive, the buyer returned with unexpected news. 'He's like, 'It's smoking, it's leaking oil,'' Junkin said. 'I was extremely puzzled. Went to the back of the Jeep — oil is pouring out of the exhaust. Went to the front of the Jeep — oil is pouring.' Junkin said the vehicle was in good shape before the test drive. She later did some research and discovered she might have been the target of a scam. According to car-buying service SellMax, a growing scam involves fake buyers who intentionally sabotage vehicles during test drives — often pouring oil into the engine or coolant system — to create the illusion of a major mechanical failure. The aim is to pressure the seller into slashing the price. Lyft customers being charged for fake damage, investigation finds FOX 16's sister station, KUSI in San Diego, previously reported on similar incidents. One anonymous victim described a nearly identical experience. 'As soon as he pulled up, I could see three guys in the van,' the man said. 'I told my wife, 'Shut the garage. Don't come outside.' I just knew I was not in a good situation.' The scheme, sometimes referred to as the 'smoking car' or 'car oil' scam, typically involves teams of people. While one person distracts the seller, another may tamper with the vehicle. The supposed buyer then returns from a test drive claiming to know exactly what's wrong with the car. 'He goes, 'There's oil in your coolant,' and I said, 'What?'' 'The guy tells us, 'It's a cracked head gasket.'' Junkin said the men insisted the Jeep needed thousands of dollars in repairs. When she hesitated, things escalated. 'He got a little aggressive — 'No, no, no — I want the Jeep,'' she said. 'He was very stern. The guy with him had the cash and was just as firm.' Under pressure, she sold the Jeep for $5,500 — nearly $10,000 less than she had hoped to get. She has been unable to contact the buyer since. 'How did you feel when you accepted this money that was so much less than you intended?' she was asked. 'Sick to my stomach,' she said. 'Frustrated. Confused. I just couldn't understand what had happened to the Jeep.' BBB warns of 'big ticket item' scams on Facebook Marketplace Junkin hopes her story will serve as a warning to others: Be cautious when selling a vehicle online. Always meet in a public place, bring someone with you, and don't be afraid to walk away if something feels off. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New scam targeting car sellers: What to know
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Officials and a victim are warning San Diegans about a growing scam that targets people who are selling their cars. The scam happens in a matter of seconds, and either ends with the owner selling the car for way less than it's worth, or it ends up costing the owner of the car hundreds of dollars to repair the car. 'It's just not right,' said Sean Pour, co-founder of SellMax. 'I think it's a growing scam people are realizing they can make a quick buck.' Escondido Police 'set the record straight' on their role in migrant mass deportations Pour said through SellMax, which buys cars nationwide that are junk or in need of repair, he sees several of these scams per month. La Mesa police said it has received reports twice. 'You'll sometimes see it called the 'car oil scam,'' Lt. Katy Lynch with the La Mesa Police Department said. 'I just knew I wasn't in a good situation,' said one of the victims of the scam in San Diego County, who asked to remain anonymous. And his gut instincts were right. After posting his car for sale, the seller said someone came to look at the vehicle with three other people. As one distracted him by counting money and asking for the title, he said another prospective buyer poured oil in his coolant reservoir, triggering the check engine light. One of the scammers then became upset at the seller, while another offered him thousands of dollars less than asking price for the car. The entire con happened in less than a minute, costing the victim $500 to repair it before trying to sell it again. 'They work in teams — so one person will distract you by asking you to see the car title or something about the vehicle, and the other person will quickly pour oil in the coolant reservoir and pour it around the engine of the car,' Pour explained. 'What this does is it causes the car to smoke,' he continued. 'What this means is typically a blown head gasket or some major issue with the car. They try to pressure people into selling the car at a lower price point.' Lynch recommends selling items in public, such as La Mesa PD's 'transaction zones' in front of the station, and always having at least one other trustworthy person there. She also encourages any victims of scams like these to report them to police. As she explained, oftentimes victims are too embarrassed to bring them to the proper authorities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
