Police warn of online car scamming scheme
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) - The Overland Park Police Department is warning people to beware of scammers on Facebook Marketplace. One Overland Park mother fell victim to these scams when purchasing a car last month.
Dayanara Saucedo bought a 2011 Kia Optima from a seller off of Facebook Marketplace on Feb. 28 and paid for it with $2,700 in cash. In return, the seller gave her the car with a title and no bill of sale.
She believes an AirTag was placed on the car that helped the seller track the car down and steal it back.
“We’re already struggling out here. What makes you think that it’s OK to take from someone else that’s working hard?” said Saucedo.
Hours after purchasing the car, she said she left it parked outside of her mother’s house on 87th and Conser. As her sister was leaving, she caught the alleged thief in action.
“My sister asked, that’s my sister’s car, what are you doing, and all he said was I’m taking my car back, this is my car,” said Saucedo.
The very next day someone ed Saucedo on Facebook after finding her belongings in the car and said the very same thing happened to her. Twenty-four hours after her car was stolen it was sold to someone else, and then stolen again. If she could do things differently, she said she would have met the seller at a police station.
“Beware. Notice the red flags. If something seems off, go with your gut. Meet at a police station so it’s on camera,” said Saucedo.
The Overland Park Police Department said buyers can fight back against scammers by meeting at one of their Internet Exchange Zones or in the lobby of the police station. These areas are also a safe option for child custody drop-offs.
If a scammer declines meeting at this location, police said that’s the first red flag to watch out for.
“What we are urging the public to do is to come to a place like the police department where it’s well-lit, there are police officers around, and also there’s cameras that’s taping so if it is a scam, we have something to go on, we have a lead,” said Overland Park Police Department Public Information Officer John Lacy.
The department has also been distributing wheel locks to Kia Drivers which they said has helped keep Kia thefts down in the city. Online transactions at their Internet Exchange Zones have also helped lower reports of scams.
Although police said these kinds of cases are rare, they’re warning scammers to beware.
“You wanna say what goes around, comes around, be careful with that, but we have a high success rate when it comes to catching these folks that are doing the scamming,” said Lacy.
Detectives are still investigating this case. Saucedo is currently raising money to help her rebuild after the car theft.
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