A Valley Center woman paid thousands for a car that didn’t even belong to the seller, reports NBC 7 and Telemundo 20’s Sergio Flores.
Evelyn Escobar can quickly tell you all the mechanical work her car has received or still needs.
“There is water that seeps through the roof,” she said as she pointed to water damage on the driver’s seat.
She then moved to the front of the car and pointed to the hood.
“This thing is falling off. I had to replace the engine and a lot of things on here because it has oil leakage too.”
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It was time to buy a new one. Escobar found one for sale on Craigslist and called the seller right away.
She took out the money she had saved for more than two years. She explained that she and her family have always bought cars this way to avoid interest rates and dealership fees. She added that having cash on hand can also help leverage a better price.
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“I was trying to negotiate with him, you know, so that he wouldn’t see all of the money. I was trying to say like, ‘Oh, I only have this much, you know.’”
She met the seller at a shopping center in Corona. She inspected the car’s registration and title while her friend checked the car for mechanical issues.
About an hour later, she gave the man $23,000 for the car and felt good about the transaction.
“He didn’t seem in a rush and he kept saying, ‘God bless you,’ he kept bringing up God, he just looked like a trustworthy individual,” she said.
Well, he was not. She would later find the registration and title were fakes when she tried to put the car under her name.
“Even the DMV was baffled because the title seems so legit. He did a good job,” Escobar said as a sudden gasp for air momentarily betrayed her resolve not to cry.
Even the DMV was baffled because the title seems so legit
Evelyn Escobar
According to the police report, the car was rented out through Turo, an online car-sharing service, and then sold to Escobar.
Turo confirmed and told NBC 7 Responds that the person who rented the vehicle was screened and showed no notable criminal history. They added less than 0.1% of their trips end in a critical incident like what happened to Escobar.
“It hit me really hard, I couldn’t sleep, I had a bunch of anxiety,” said Escobar, recalling how she felt especially when her daughter cried after the police took the car.
But there is nothing she could’ve done, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. There is no quick way to match a name on a title with state records due to privacy laws.
Sgt. Anthony Molina from the Chula Vista Police Department took a look at a picture of the forged title.
“Just right off the bat, that looks like a traditional pink slip,” he said as he zoomed in at different spots of the image.
The former member of the Regional Auto Theft Team advised that from the moment a car buyer makes online contact with a seller, they should do the following:
- Check the seller’s history for previous transactions.
- Check for any reviews on the current or previous postings.
- Ask if the seller is willing to meet in person. If they are not, you should strongly consider walking away from the deal.
- Pull a Carfax report and ask the seller about specific information that’s on it, such as the city it was purchased and the last time it was serviced.
“The person may legitimately not recall but you want to listen for that hesitation, you want to listen to that surprise moment," said Molina.
Once all checks out online, it’s time to meet up. Sgt. Molina said the buyer should then:
- Insist on meeting during the day
- Make sure it’s in a public place
- Suggest meeting at a DMV office or police station and pay attention to their reaction.
“If you feel or sense some hesitation from the seller of not wanting to meet you in one of these places, that’s another huge red flag. Why wouldn’t you want to meet in a safe place?” asked Molina.
He added that these tips on their own may not be enough to determine a legitimate auto sale, but together, a buyer will have a much better idea of how to proceed.
“You’re putting that puzzle together. Those pieces help you go through with that transaction,” explained Molina.
A puzzle that can prevent a buyer from losing their savings, which can really do a number on even the toughest person.
“Money comes and it goes, you know, but,” Escobar said as her voice cut off into a sob. “I worked really hard for my money, for someone to just come and take advantage of me.”
The Corona Police Department has confirmed to NBC 7 that they arrested two people on Thursday in connection with Escobar’s purchase of the car.
