Don Le, a resident of Los Angeles, stumbled upon what appeared to be an irresistible offer for a 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat priced at $28,000 on Craigslist. After contacting the seller, inspecting the car in person, negotiating a price of $26,000, and making the purchase, Don Le soon discovered that the Hellcat was not rightfully owned by the seller. Instead, the “seller” turned out to be a thief who had rented the car from Driv3 Rentals in LA, “sold” it to Don Le, and disappeared without a trace.
Driv3 Rentals became suspicious when the renter requested the spare key of the car, claiming to have misplaced the original key. When Drive3 refused the request, the renter miraculously found the original key. By using a GPS tracker commonly installed in rental vehicles, Drive3 noticed minimal movement of the Hellcat. Consequently, when it was time to retrieve the car, they pinpointed its location and, to their surprise, encountered Don Le instead of their renter.
Upon locating the car, Driv3 observed significant alterations compared to its previous state. The thief had made several modifications, seemingly to conceal the vehicle’s true identity. This involved rubber-dipping the wheels, painting the trunk lid and roof black, and affixing SRT Hellcat decals to the rear fenders. Furthermore, a counterfeit title was crafted by the thief, deceiving Don Le into believing the transaction was legitimate.
However, there were several warning signs that Don Le failed to notice, such as an incorrect VIN on the forged title, spelling errors, and a handwritten sales receipt. The thief spun a tale of a divorce and financial need, convincing Don Le of the legitimacy of the remarkably low selling price. Despite claiming to have verified the VIN, everything appeared ordinary to Don Le.
Regrettably, the criminal vanished with the $26,000 that Don Le had saved and borrowed from a friend. To assist him in recovering some of the lost funds, Driv3 initiated a GoFundMe campaign, which currently stands at $6,180.
It’s understandable to be thrilled at the prospect of snagging a bargain-priced Challenger SRT Hellcat for sale. Finding a Hellcat with reasonable mileage for under $50,000 is quite rare. While the current situation offers little solace, it serves as a reminder that if a deal appears too good to be true, it’s likely fraudulent.
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