Selling a car online can already feel like a trust fall with the internet and for one Newcastle resident, that trust almost backfired.<\/p>\n
Deputies in Placer County, California, say two Fremont men were arrested after allegedly pulling off a classic \u201cengine oil\u201d scam targeting private sellers.<\/p>\n
The suspects \u2014 19-year-old Lulian Mihai and 36-year-old Decebal Mihai \u2014 reportedly posed as interested buyers, then poured oil into the seller\u2019s engine during a test drive to make it look like the car had serious mechanical issues. Once the car started smoking or making noise, they\u2019d act concerned and offer to take it off the seller\u2019s hands for a fraction of the original price. (1)<\/p>\n
\u201cThis well-known scam tricks victims into believing their vehicle has a catastrophic problem, which the all-too-willing suspects are able to take off the victim\u2019s hands for a steeply reduced price,\u201d the PCSO said.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how the scam works and what to watch for if you\u2019re selling your car online.<\/p>\n
When the Newcastle resident noticed smoke coming from her car during the test drive \u2014 something that had never happened before, she immediately grew suspicious. She believed the potential buyers put oil into the engine to make it seem like there was a mechanical issue. Trusting her gut, she told the men to come back another day and then contacted the PCSO.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not an isolated incident. Americans reported losing a record $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission, with car scams now shifting into high gear. (2) Point Predictive\u2019s latest Auto Lending Fraud Trends Report estimates lenders could face $9.2 billion in auto-related fraud losses this year, the highest ever recorded. (3)<\/p>\n
But the \u201coil-in-the-engine\u201d trick isn\u2019t the only scheme revving up online. Scammers are getting more sophisticated, swapping dirty motor oil for digital deception.<\/p>\n
Virginia resident Jeffrey Carr<\/a> thought he\u2019d found the deal of a lifetime: a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle \u2014 the same model as his father\u2019s first car \u2014 listed online for just $22,000. The \u201cbroker,\u201d supposedly based in Cleveland, provided contracts through DocuSign, a bill of sale and dozens of glossy photos that made everything look legitimate. But after Carr wired the money, the seller vanished.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n The website, investigators later found, was a fake designed to disappear once victims sent their payments, leaving no digital trail. By the time Carr realized what had happened, both the car and his cash were long gone. He ultimately had to cash out his 401(k) to cover the loan, according to News 5 Cleveland. (4)<\/p>\n Read more: Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US \u2014 with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in \u2018great wealth\u2019<\/a>. How to get in now<\/p>\n In the Newcastle woman\u2019s case, she wasn\u2019t about to let the suspects get away with it. She arranged a second meeting this time with deputies and detectives waiting nearby. The men were arrested on the spot.<\/p>\n A search of their vehicle turned up counterfeit documents, evidence of identity theft and even revealed that the Toyota 4Runner they were driving had been stolen through a similar scam in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n Both suspects are now being held in Placer County Jail on charges of theft, conspiracy and fraud. But their story serves as a warning: with the average used car selling for just over $25,000 as of May 2025, according to CarEdge, protecting yourself when selling a vehicle is essential. (5)<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is to control the setting. Many police departments now offer designated \u201csafe exchange zones\u201d well-lit parking areas under video surveillance or regular patrol. Meeting a potential buyer there can instantly deter scammers who rely on privacy to pull their tricks.<\/p>\n When you do meet, never go alone. Bring a friend or family member who can keep an eye on the buyer (and anyone they brought along) while you focus on the sale. If multiple people show up or something feels off, end the meeting immediately and walk away.<\/p>\n To reduce risk even further, consider selling through a trusted online marketplace that helps vet buyers. And before anyone even sits behind the wheel, ask to see a valid ID \u2014 a legitimate buyer won\u2019t have a problem with that.<\/p>\n While car scams all look different, some using oil and others using polished websites, both prey on trust. Before you list or buy a vehicle online, take your time because when it comes to your hard-earned money, slow and steady isn\u2019t just a driving tip.<\/p>\n Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywise\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.<\/a><\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n ABC10 (1<\/a>); Federal Trade Commission (2<\/a>); Point Predictive (3<\/a>); News 5 Cleveland (4<\/a>); CarEdge (5<\/a>)<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com<\/a> under the title: California sheriff issues warning about \u2018oil-in-the-engine\u2019 car-buying scam \u2014 how it works and what to watch out for<\/a><\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Selling a car online can already feel like a trust fall with the internet and for one Newcastle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34700,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,283,9176,24835,24831,24832,24833,24834,10288,14238],"class_list":{"0":"post-34699","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-california-headlines","10":"tag-california-news","11":"tag-car","12":"tag-dave-ramsey","13":"tag-decebal-mihai","14":"tag-engine-oil","15":"tag-federal-trade-commission","16":"tag-jeffrey-carr","17":"tag-mechanical-issues","18":"tag-placer-county","19":"tag-robert-kiyosaki"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}