Police Bust Brothers For $3 Million Facebook Marketplace Classic Car Fraud

Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Would you bargain a classical car solely based connected a photograph and a Facebook Marketplace listing? Probably not, but plentifulness of group did successful a scam allegedly tally by 2 brothers successful North Carolina, to nan tune of $3 cardinal (and possibly more).  According to Road & Track, nan siblings went to classical car dealers, snapped photos, posted nan vehicles connected Facebook Marketplace, and past sold them though clone companies, to buyers who were evidently OK pinch ne'er really checking retired nan existent vintage expanse metal, which was ne'er delivered. Valentin Virlizanu was arrested and is retired connected $25,000 bail, awaiting a tribunal quality adjacent month, while nan cops are still looking for Vasile Virlizanu, who remains astatine large. 

Their scam mightiness besides beryllium larger than what nan North Carolina investigators uncovered. The FBI is besides connected nan case, delving into whether nan Virlizanus mightiness person masterminded a akin fraud successful nan Northeast. If they did, we're talking $15 million. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation's Coastal District Office has group up a extremity statement astatine 910-939-6200. I cognize what you're thinking; really could these group let themselves to beryllium truthful easy suckered? It is simply a morganatic question. Folks who ain classic cars fundamentally only get caller ones erstwhile they're allowed to bring a microscope to nan closing. But hey, I conjecture leaps of religion still happen, though what we're dealing pinch present is extreme. 

Norman Zeb/Getty Images

Caveat emptor? Clearly, we don't want to blasted nan victims of fraud successful this case. However, erstwhile buying an aged utilized car – not moreover a due classic, mind you! – it seems that you mightiness want to measure whether nan seller is honest, verify that nan conveyance is arsenic it was described and pictured online, return it for a trial drive, astir apt moreover bring on your ain mechanic if you don't person assurance successful your under-the-hood skills. If thing else, you virtually want to footwear nan tires.

Perhaps I'm falling into an old-school mindset here. Maybe nan world has changed. But classical cars are already a fraught acquisition to bargain and own. I get that integer life has reduced nan supply; it now seems that everything of reasonable vintage worth has been vacuumed up and sorted by nan internet, making it difficult to way down and beryllium capable to bargain nan vehicles you've ever wanted to own.

Nonetheless, communal consciousness should still apply. Any classical car is going to beryllium a pricy preoccupation, and chances are bully that moreover obtaining 1 though acceptable channels isn't going to destruct nan headaches that cars of a definite property invariably induce. Let's conscionable opportunity that owed diligence is ever worthy nan clip and effort.