Fraudsters impersonate Connecticut auto companies, classic car enthusiasts pay the price

Two Connecticut auto business owners claim their companies had their identities stolen by a scammer who preys on classic car enthusiasts.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut issued a report on Thursday outlining a scheme that has cost its victims large sums of money.

For instance, Michael Purvis, of Wilmington, N.C., sounded the alarm on Classic Leyland Restorations Powered by Premier Motorsports, LLC after being targeted by a fake Facebook advertisement and website, which cost him $30,000.

“I found a car online and spoke with the guy several times through email, text and phone calls,” Purvis said to the BBB Scam Tracker. “Since I am a handicapped 80-year-old veteran, ‘Josh’ set up delivery for the car I purchased. Once I wired ‘Josh’ the money, the website and his phone number were deleted.”

Meanwhile, Liz Sapata, who owns Classic Leyland Restorations in Prospect, received a letter from the Attorney General of Idaho after a victim from that state said they lost $25,000 for a 1949 truck that never existed.

“We were completely shocked. We had no idea what was going on,” Sapata told the BBB Serving Connecticut. “We only restore classic British cars. We do not sell vehicles. So, it was interesting to see someone who was trying to scam a small mom-and-pop shop.”

Sapata noted that her business lacks a website and doesn’t have social media accounts. A fraudulent Facebook page created by the scammer is still up, but the phone number it lists does not match that of Classic Leyland Restorations or Premier Motorsports, LLC.

“It’s definitely impacting our day-to-day on a regular basis because we’re having to answer phone calls that have nothing to do with us,” Sapata added.

Richard Eyon, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was victimized by the scam, even after he thought he did everything correctly.

Eyon looked up the business on the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s website and asked the seller to share the video of the truck. However, he now wishes he put more time into determining the validity of the offer.

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“I was upset. I felt stupid. If you can’t physically see it, hire somebody that can,” Eynon told the BBB Serving Connecticut. “There are services out there that will go inspect the vehicle for you."

Eyon added that the scheme emotionally impacted him.

“There are a lot of things I won’t buy online anymore,” he said.

Eynon relayed that once he reported the scam to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the Department of Homeland Security helped shut down the website.

That said, the scam is still active.

“It’s sad because I keep seeing the same vehicles in the same setting under different names, different phone numbers,” Eynon said.

Brandon Zuccaro, who owns Premier Motorsports LLC in Canton, emphasized the importance of not wiring money for a car sale until having seen the car in person.

“Research the business, look up who the business owner is, make sure the bank account matches the business if they’re asking you to wire money,” Zuccaro said.

According to the BBB Serving Connecticut, there are several definitive signs that a virtual vehicle scam may be ongoing.

If the price of the vehicle is drastically lower than the market standard, it’s a red flag.

If the seller says they cannot meet in person and won’t allow the potential buyer to inspect the vehicle, that is suspicious.

Additionally, if money must be sent to a third party recommended by the seller, or if the seller requests payment by gift card or bank-to-bank wire transfer, it might be smart to call it off.

RELATED: Better Business Bureau warns of fake 'relief check' phone call scam in Connecticut

RELATED: 10 tips for hiring home improvement contractors, from the BBB Serving Connecticut

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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com. 

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