It’s 2025. If there’s a way for someone to hatch a scam to rob people of their hard-earned cash, they will do it. Like the case of a Florida man busted by Orlando police for an elaborate scam targeting car dealerships and insurance providers.

Over the course of several years, the Floridian set up multiple fake businesses and defrauded multiple dealerships across a handful of states.

Orlando, Florida, police arrested a man for a $400,000 fraud scheme involving car dealerships

Police in Orlando, Florida, took Michael Hummel into custody after years of investigations. Hummel’s crime? The man allegedly committed scams across multiple states involving car dealerships and insurance companies. 

As part of his scheme, Hummel would make faux purchases from car dealerships, per WFTV 9. According to the arrest documentation, Hummel also involved insurance providers in his scams, totaling around $400,000 in bogus buys. 

This wasn’t a first for Hummel, either. Law enforcement says investigations into Hummel’s criminal actions go back to May 2022. Hummel reportedly used his schemes to buy at least 18 vehicles. 

Now, over three years later, Hummel is looking at some serious consequences for defrauding car dealerships, insurance providers, and using fake businesses. Police are charging the Florida man with multiple counts of Fraudulent Use of Personal Identifying Information, Scheme to Defraud, and First-Degree Grand Theft.

It’s more common than you might think, too. Criminals use tactics like using fake or stolen identities to make purchases and steal from car dealerships. More commonly, though, faux dealerships use fake postings to scam would-be buyers out of thousands of dollars.