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A guy found his dream C7 Corvette, a 2019 Black Rose Grand Sport coupe and sealed the deal on Valentine’s Day, a fitting day to pick up a car he had fallen deeply in love with.
Unfortunately, soon afterward, the love story became a tragedy when the Dallas County tax office couldn’t transfer the title into Luna’s name because the car had actually been stolen.
Luna had paid about $20,000 less than market value for the car, giving the seller his life savings of $35,000 for the beautiful Grand Sport, which was in immaculate condition inside and out, including its Kalahari leather interior.
“I test-drove it,” Luna explained, noting that he texted back and forth and then actually met up with the seller at a gas station in Dallas, saw the car, got the VIN and ran it, and texted him the next day that he wanted to buy it. “Everything appeared to be good.”
Until it wasn’t.
Luna had just fallen victim to a very sophisticated scammer who had provided photos showing the VIN on the title matched the VIN plate on the dash and VIN stickers in the door jamb, edge of the hood, and even under the trunk liner.
“It’s a real Texas title and, somehow, they pull off the old ink and then they re-stamp it,” Luna said, explaining the process behind the crime to an NBC5 reporter.
A closer inspection then uncovered a different VIN in the metal frame of the car, revealing that the car had been reported stolen in December 2023. Police came and towed the Corvette away, and now Luna can’t get in touch with the man who sold him the car that had been advertised on social media.
“It feels horrible, you know?”
Luna says. “The car is gone, my life savings was gone.”
How can you avoid such a dilemma? Doug Sisk with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department suggests meeting the seller at the local tax office to transfer the title before paying.
“You always want to verify it and go to a tax office and do an immediate title transfer,” Sisk says. “That way, you know if you have a legitimate car.”
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles points out that this is helpful to sellers, too, as they can be held responsible for tickets, toll violations, or crimes committed with the vehicle if it remains in their name after a sale.
Another hint from the DMV ask an individual seller for past financing and insurance references.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that stolen vehicles are moved quickly, so the registered owner may not even realize it’s gone or it may not be flagged as stolen yet in the system.
Sisk suggests that if the price of a car is too good to be true, you should be skeptical, something that’s hard to do when someone is super-excited about getting his dream car.
Luna’s seller had “a whole story behind” the low price for his Corvette. “He said he was going into back surgery and he already had a back surgery. He actually lifted his shirt and showed me a scar.”
Unfortunately, soon afterward, the love story became a tragedy when the Dallas County tax office couldn’t transfer the title into Luna’s name because the car had actually been stolen.
Luna had paid about $20,000 less than market value for the car, giving the seller his life savings of $35,000 for the beautiful Grand Sport, which was in immaculate condition inside and out, including its Kalahari leather interior.
“I test-drove it,” Luna explained, noting that he texted back and forth and then actually met up with the seller at a gas station in Dallas, saw the car, got the VIN and ran it, and texted him the next day that he wanted to buy it. “Everything appeared to be good.”
Until it wasn’t.
Luna had just fallen victim to a very sophisticated scammer who had provided photos showing the VIN on the title matched the VIN plate on the dash and VIN stickers in the door jamb, edge of the hood, and even under the trunk liner.
“It’s a real Texas title and, somehow, they pull off the old ink and then they re-stamp it,” Luna said, explaining the process behind the crime to an NBC5 reporter.
A closer inspection then uncovered a different VIN in the metal frame of the car, revealing that the car had been reported stolen in December 2023. Police came and towed the Corvette away, and now Luna can’t get in touch with the man who sold him the car that had been advertised on social media.
“It feels horrible, you know?”
Luna says. “The car is gone, my life savings was gone.”
How can you avoid such a dilemma? Doug Sisk with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department suggests meeting the seller at the local tax office to transfer the title before paying.
“You always want to verify it and go to a tax office and do an immediate title transfer,” Sisk says. “That way, you know if you have a legitimate car.”
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles points out that this is helpful to sellers, too, as they can be held responsible for tickets, toll violations, or crimes committed with the vehicle if it remains in their name after a sale.
Another hint from the DMV ask an individual seller for past financing and insurance references.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that stolen vehicles are moved quickly, so the registered owner may not even realize it’s gone or it may not be flagged as stolen yet in the system.
Sisk suggests that if the price of a car is too good to be true, you should be skeptical, something that’s hard to do when someone is super-excited about getting his dream car.
Luna’s seller had “a whole story behind” the low price for his Corvette. “He said he was going into back surgery and he already had a back surgery. He actually lifted his shirt and showed me a scar.”
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