LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – It’s not a new scam, but it’s being done in a new way. Sellers are winding back the mileage on cars’ odometers, cheating buyers out of their hard-earned money.
After a recent case in Reno, the Chief of Nevada DMV’s Enforcement Division is warning Southern Nevadans of the growing trend, particularly with social media sales. J.D. Decker says people are using ‘diagnostic devices,’ meant for mechanics to diagnose what’s going on with a vehicle, to manipulate a vehicle’s odometer.
He says now that cars have digital odometers, the scam is getting easier — but harder to catch. This is especially true with vehicles coming from out of state because the Nevada DMV does not have any vehicle records.
And, he says it’s even harder to prosecute.
“It’s hard to determine in the history of a vehicle’s ownership, who actually changed the odometer, and then prove that,” Decker says.
Decker says the scam is typically done through private party sales on social media.
“Social media is not designed to sell vehicles,” he says. “Someone selling a vehicle on social media is not selling it on a motor vehicle sales website for a reason.”
He advises people to avoid vehicle sales on social media altogether. If you plan to forego Decker’s advice, he advises conducting the sale at the DMV where you can get a VIN Inspection before anything is finalized.
He says it’s also important to get a record of the car’s service history. Mileage is logged by mechanics.
If you think you’ve been a victim of odometer fraud, you can file a complaint through the DMV’s website.
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