A Colorado man found himself out of thousands of dollars after unknowingly purchasing a stolen truck. The man, who flew from Houston to Colorado after spotting the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace, thought he had found a legitimate deal. However, after buying the truck and attempting to register it in Texas, he discovered the truck was part of a scam involving multiple thefts and resales.
The truck appeared to have all the necessary documents, including the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), title, and plates. However, a key fob was missing—a red flag, as thieves often keep one fob to steal and resell the same vehicle multiple times. Despite this warning, the buyer proceeded with the purchase and drove the truck back to Texas.
Upon trying to register the vehicle, authorities discovered that the title had been “washed” (altered) and the license plates were cloned. A hidden tracking device was also found, which suggested the thieves could track the truck for future thefts. Houston police confirmed that the truck had been stolen in November, and the insurance company had already paid the original owner for the loss. As a result, the truck was legally owned by the insurer, and the Colorado man was forced to return it, losing both his money and the truck.