A cashier’s check can be a great way to pay for a car. Well, as long as it’s legitimate! A Chicago man used a fake check to drive off in an SUV worth over $33,000. The seller had no idea he was being played until he tried to deposit the funds. 

Chicago man steals $33k SUV with fake cashier’s check 

When you take the money up front, be sure to verify that the payment method is legit. One man accepted a fake cashier’s check along with $4,000 in cash. He probably felt happy about the sale of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

Until disaster struck. The check came back as fraudulent, so he called the New Lenox Police for help. The theft occurred on August 16, 2025, and police officers quickly started to investigate. 

According to Patch, they used video footage of the sale to identify the suspect as 35-year-old Anthony Huff of Chicago. They had assistance from the Tri County Auto Theft Task Force as well. 

Nearly a week later, Chicago Police spotted Huff driving the stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee and initiated a traffic stop. Huff didn’t have a valid driver’s license and was carrying altered financial documents. 

He admitted to being involved in the fraudulent transaction to purchase the SUV. It’s unclear if anyone else will face charges in connection. Huff was charged with forgery, theft, aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and burglary. 

The reports didn’t include whether the Jeep was damaged or not. However, the seller is lucky that it was found in one piece. Not very many victims get that lucky!