Elaborate Craigslist Scam?

Kinja'd!!! "RacinBob" (racinbob)
10/23/2019 at 21:58 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!0 Kinja'd!!! 10

Paraphrased from another Forum that I follow.

This car was on CL nearby in Baltimore -

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The price is in line with a regular 997.1S, although a quick check showed 2 of these ‘club’ cars on BaT for $50k & $72k... and the photos in the CL ad are stolen from the BaT ad -

of course I email, maybe its a guy who doesnt know what he has and I score the deal of the year. They respond with the usual, “I’m in canada, and the car is with a broker” bullshit...

With a link to a broker/dealer website that has the car listed - !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

The broker seems to be a legitimate business, at least doesnt have any negative BBB/Yelp/Google reviews, and positive comments on their youtube channel... although if you search “Hollmann Group Auto Brokers” in google nothing turns up.

So, it seems someone has gone to great lengths to fabricate a broker/dealer that doesnt exist to steal your credit/bank info under the auspices that they’ll deliver a car to you. I guess the Nigerian prince uncle scam has run its course.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Check the address on Google Maps. Its an industrial park with typical light industrial buildings/offices. No suite number and street view shows no sign of anything that would correspond to an upscale auto broker.

There is an extensive Holman (one ‘l’) Auto Group here in South Jersey. They appear to be totally unrelated to Hollman whatever. I suspect the similarity to a legitimate group is part of the facade.

Hollmann Group seems to be the American branch of the much larger European !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

If it is a scam, it is very elaborate.

If there is a ‘boxer in the area maybe he could drop by and check it out

If you click the “About Us” on the website, it pulls up a long list of employees. A few are Edmunds execs according to LinkedIn, with no mention of being involved with Hollmann.


DISCUSSION (10)


Kinja'd!!! davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RacinBob
10/24/2019 at 10:50

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That’s a beautiful car.


Kinja'd!!! RacinBob > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
10/24/2019 at 14:44

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Sure is, and at a great price too! Put a deposit on it!


Kinja'd!!! davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RacinBob
10/24/2019 at 14:52

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I should, or you did?


Kinja'd!!! RacinBob > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
10/25/2019 at 13:49

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No not me,but my Russian fiance did. I just loaned her the money.....


Kinja'd!!!  > RacinBob
11/21/2019 at 19:06

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Hello!I saw the company on the Internet and claimed the owner was in Canada.I just read your article, I want to ask, do you mean this company is a fraud?Looking forward to your reply!


Kinja'd!!!  > 
11/21/2019 at 20:16

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NVM it is a scam.


Kinja'd!!! RacinBob > 
11/21/2019 at 20:40

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I don’t have first hand knowledge. the posting is a reprint from another site that I follow.  The folks over there did the investigating and that is the conclusion they drew. I just shared the information and will let everybody draw their own conclusions.


Kinja'd!!! 911TS > RacinBob
01/17/2020 at 14:47

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I just ran into the same issue, the craigslist - Reno in the collectible section not auto/truck. and still is. 2008 Porsche 911S for $25500 an outstanding deal. The guy wrote:

Hi, the 911 is still available for $25,500. It has 40,720 miles, clean title in hand, no accidents and no liens, 2 keys, never smoked in and always garaged. It has been recently inspected and rated in perfect condition. I have attached the Carfax and the Inspection report. I am selling it only to put a down payment on a new house. I have left the car with a broker, with all the paperwork (title signed by me, keys) since I am currently in Montreal, Canada with my new work contract as a pilot for First Air. Let me know if you are interested so I can put you in contact with them so you can inspect it, they have full Power of Attorney to sell it on my behalf.

While searching google the car came up on Bring your trailer, exact same Vin and pictures with PPI report along with CarFax. I knew something was up, so I wrote back saying:

Hi Scott,

I can’t convince my wife that this is a legit deal and there’s no way on finding out unless you have any information that this is legit. We were able to find the car that sold in December 2018 on Bring your trailer with the same photo’s you have on Hollmann group. Can you clarify?

Never heard back but checked today, and it’s still on Craigslist and still on Hollmann Group website.  Noone answer the phone.  I need to report this but don’t know who to call.

 

 


Kinja'd!!! RacinBob > 911TS
01/17/2020 at 19:13

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I suppose having this on the second page of a Google search is one way to get the word out.....

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Kinja'd!!! 987CS > RacinBob
01/21/2020 at 11:08

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I also just ran into this same issue, 2006 Cayman S with 47k miles for $16k listed in multiple CList ads (multiple cities) - researched VIN, see that it sold on BaT in 2018 for $29k with 41k miles. Contact the seller, same story as you - I’m in Canada now for new job as a pilot, broker in Fort Worth has the car and power of attorney, and he sends me all the photos from BaT — only difference is the website is for SE Motors ( https://www.semotorsgroup.com ) instead of Hollmann — but you will see that their websites are clones of each other.

This is a SCAM folks !!

I reported this to the FBI via their internet crime reporting site https://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx  and I recommend you all do the same.