Cracking Down on Social Media Car Purchases

The Panhandle Auto Theft and Burglary Unit have been made aware of various instances of auto burglaries around the area in a rather unique way. 

The unit has recovered multiple vehicles in the past five months after said stolen vehicles were purchased through social media sites. 

Sellers of these vehicles have been usually Spanish and have targeted Spanish-speaking buyers, with the majority of these stolen cars being higher-end pickup trucks from the Dallas and Houston areas with fake titles, and have been sold for up to $50,000 in cash. 

It is recommended that if you are going to purchase a vehicle from social media platforms, be cautious and look out for these things.

Buy vehicles from reputable dealers.

Be cautious of cash-only deals.

Take photos of the buyer or the buyer’s identification.

Meet at the Tax office to fill out title paperwork.

Check all documents for authenticity.

Anything that is too good to be true probably is.

Lastly, don’t buy from new social media profiles or profiles that do not have a sales history.

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