Audio By Carbonatix

An automotive dealership in Utah said not today! Three thieves tried to use a truck scam to get away with $95,000.However, one employee noticed that something was off and managed to set up a sting. 

Utah dealership foils $95,000 truck scam 

It was a normal day at the Wade Auto Center in St. George, Utah until police officers got involved to set up a sting operation to arrest thieves who were attempting to get away with a truck scam. 

A man who calls himself Marciano Madrano Penaloza entered the dealership to sell a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Thedealership and the agreed on a price. Then Penaloza planned to return the next day to accept a check for $51,000. 

While the Chevy Silverado sale was pending, an employee ran its Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N) and it came back as invalid. So, employees did some digging and found that the V.I.N. was altered. 

Upon running the real V.I.N., they found that the truck was stolen and called the police. Officers waited for Penaloza to return the next day. They arrested him and two other men who showed up with him. 

According to Yahoo, police officers found a check worth $44,000. It was from a dealership that purchased a different pickup with an altered V.I.N. This vehicle was also reported as stolen. 

If the employee didn’t find the altered V.I.N. then the thieves would have walked out with $95,000. Always run the V.I.N. before buying a vehicle to review its history. Scammers are getting so good at this scam that it’s difficult for dealers to notice!