A couple is out tens of thousands of dollars after unknowingly purchasing a stolen vehicle from a private seller who had swapped the vehicle identification number.
John and Michele Tibbs thought they had found a great deal on a 2021 Chevy Suburban through Facebook Marketplace, but they later discovered that the SUV was actually a stolen 2023 model with an altered VIN.
"We were on Facebook Marketplace, we had been looking for a couple of weeks, and we found a man who needed to sell his SUV," Michele said.
The vehicle seemed perfect for their growing family and was priced below market value at $33,000.
The couple took precautions before purchasing, including having a mechanic inspect the vehicle and running a CARFAX report.
"We went on CARFAX, and we typed in the VIN, and everything was checked out, even the color," Michele said.
With what appeared to be a clean CARFAX report from Michigan, they decided to buy the vehicle.
"We paid $33,000 cash," Michele said.
DMV finds a big problem
The problems began when they attempted to register the vehicle at the DMV.
"The title, when they typed it in, it wasn't matching; there wasn't an actual title in Michigan," Michele said.
The couple soon learned that the title and the SUV had allegedly been stolen, making them victims of "VIN swapping," a growing type of vehicle fraud.
Watch as a couple describes how they fell for the VIN swapping fraud:
Police believe the windshield plate and door sticker were changed to match a similar car.
"We were just shocked," Michele said.
How to protect yourself
Attorney Mike Simkas suggests buyers protect themselves by using an OBD2 reader, which connects to a car's computer and reveals the vehicle's real VIN.
"You take the VIN from the internal computer, and you match it to the engine firewall or to the door or the windshield. Those should all match, as well as the registration and title," Simkas said.
He also cautions buyers about deals that seem too good to be true.
"But I always go back to the rule of, if it's too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true," Simkas said.
Warning signs of potential VIN swapping include odometer readings that don't match the CARFAX report, VINs that don't match between the title and vehicle, or visible signs that the VIN plate has been altered.
Attorney and law professor Danny Karon cautions against using Facebook Marketplace for vehicle purchases.
"People are totally unaccountable; you don't know who you're dealing with. You don't know what you're getting," Karon said. "Never mind the VIN issue. How about the drivability issue, how about the safety issues?"
When police used a code reader to check the VIN of the Tibbs' Suburban, they made a startling discovery.
"That's when we saw it was a 2023, with a different VIN," Michele said.
The couple contacted CARFAX but were told their SUV didn't qualify for the company's buyback program because it had not yet been reported stolen.
Michele said the seller has disappeared completely.
"It must have been a fake number, a burner phone," Michele said.
The Tibbs are now warning other buyers to be cautious of great deals on social media and sellers who demand cash payment.
That way, you don't waste your money.
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