(FOX40.COM) — A man connected to statewide car sale scams is now in a Placer County jail after being arrested in Oklahoma, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
A string of used car sales scams across Northern California caused many law enforcement agencies, including the Placer County Sheriff’s Office to issue warnings for the public to remain vigilant when buying used cars.
The identified scam had the scammer targeting sellers marketing their vehicles on known resale websites.
When the scammer arrived at the arranged meeting location they would have two other people with them to “inspect” the vehicle.
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While one person distracts the seller the others pour oil in the radiator and on top of the engine to cause it to smoke during the test drive and make it appear like there is an engine failure.
The buyer then asks for an extremely low sell price to get the “problem” car off the seller’s hands.