Connecticut’s consumer watchdog is warning online shoppers to beware of a scam artist who stole the identity of a Michigan auto dealer and cheated a Wallingford woman and 19 car buyers out of thousands of dollars.
Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell said the unidentified woman lost close to $4,000 cash that she wired to the scam site that claimed to have repossessed vehicles for sale at bargain prices.
“As more people become comfortable with online buying, it’s important to alert consumers to this new twist on identity theft,” Farrell said in an e-mail alert.Â
Last month, the owner of Summit Auto Sales in Pontiac, Mich., discovered that an online scam artist had stolen his business name and street address as the basis for a phony web site, Farrell said.
The fraudulent site used the Summit name and Michigan address to scam unsuspecting customers into buying cars online.
“Too good to be true” deals, like a 2009 Ford Mustang Coupe with 1,908 miles for just $7,196 were featured on the website, which also indicated that purchased vehicles would be shipped directly to the buyer from Michigan, he said.
None of the claims were true, the cars were never delivered to the consumer, and frustrated buyers found no way to reach a live person through the website, which has been tracked to Australia. The telephone number provided on the website brought up a voice recording directing callers back to the website to use the online contact form.
When complaints poured in, Summit’s owner, Morris Skoropa, had no idea what they were talking about, Farrell said. Skoropa is working with his bank, an attorney, and state and local authorities to clear his business name.
“Remember, if it looks to good to be true, it’s not true, so stay away,” Farrell said. “If you absolutely must buy online, never send cash; always use a credit card or a secure payment system such as PayPal.”
