The $55K FaceTime car scam

April 23, 2025

By Kim Komando

Sarah’s $55,000 lesson: The online car dealership that wasn’t
Even smart shoppers can get taken; here’s how to make sure you don’t.

Sarah from Salt Lake City did everything right, or so she thought. She was looking for a used car online and found what looked like a legitimate dealership. 

She wasn’t some sucker scrolling Craigslist at 2 a.m. with a bottle of wine, she did her homework. The website was clean and professional. They picked up the phone when she called and even FaceTimed her to show the car in real time. 

It all felt legit. She ordered a Carfax report. She added the car to her insurance. It was that real.

She wired $55,000 for the purchase. Then came the call from the “truck driver” who said he was on his way with the delivery.

Except … the car never showed up. Then the phone lines went dead. The website vanished. And Sarah realized the truth: She’d been scammed.

🎣 $55,000 gone  

No car. No recourse. No one was held accountable.

Sarah did what anyone would do. She filed reports with her bank. She contacted the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and her local police department. But the silence was deafening. She never heard back.

And just when Sarah thought that it couldn’t get worse, she saw the same scam rise from the ashes like a very annoying, very illegal phoenix, with a nearly identical site and even the same address. Crazy, right?

These criminals didn’t just steal her money, they’re still out there stealing from others.

👩🏻‍🏫 Here’s what to know

• A slick website means squat.
  Always reverse image search the photos. If that car’s been used to sell 42 other totally legit BMWs, run. Buy your car from a genuine local dealership.
  
• Phone calls and FaceTime? Still not proof.
  Scammers are pros. They’ve got scripts, burner phones, fake names and even staged videos ready to go.
  
• Never wire money for a car you haven’t seen in person.
  Once wired, that money is gone. No refund. No dispute. No second chances.
  
• Trust, but verify.
  Verify the dealership. Google the address. Call the business license office in the city. Search the phone number and domain name. If it’s real, it’ll check out across multiple sources.
  
• Report, report, report.
  File with IC3.gov, your bank’s fraud department, your local police and the FTC. Even if it doesn’t get your money back, it creates a paper trail.
  

Sarah told me her story not because she wants pity. She’s sharing because she knows the next “faceless dealership” is already preying on their next $55,000 dreamer. You’ve been warned. 

Here’s the real pain: These scams win when we think they’d never fool us. If you’re not careful, they’ll get you on your bad days, and they’ll get you on your good days all the same.