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CLEARFIELD -- A man behind a car scam KSL first told you about last week may have swindled more people out of their hard-earned money. And he may be using stolen cars to do it. Two more victims have come forward and they say the description of the scammer appears to be the same. They say the way he operates is also very consistent.
A car the scammer was advertising on KSL Classifieds belongs to Auction Direct Automotive in Clearfield. How the man took the car without the lot knowing is still unclear. But one thing's for sure - he's so smooth he managed to scam two men who work in the car business.
"I've been doing this business for six years. It's the first time this has happened to me," said Imran Ahmed.
Ahmed buys and sells cars for a living. He knows a scam when he sees one. But a man who posted a classified ad for a 1999 Nissan Altima, got the best of him.
"He put on a really good act. He had me fooled, definitely."
On September 28th, Ahmed wanted first dibs on the car and paid the man $1800 in exchange for a bill of sale. The seller said he'd deliver the car and the title later., but gave Ahmed a fraudulent name and address.
A few days before, a co-worker, Austin Hansen, fell for a similar scam. Both men work for Hansen's father, David, who owns Liberty Auto in Kaysville.
Austin Hansen went to buy a 2000 Honda Accord. The seller, named Brent, didn't have the car but promised to deliver it later.
The two compared stories and based on the description, they figure it's the same man. They also think that same person scammed a returned missionary last week. Clint Burnell answered a similar ad on KSL Classifieds and lost a $500 deposit.
"We just wonder how somebody could be so brazen to show their face in this kind of scam," said David Hansen.
If that wasn't enough, there's another twist to the story. Ahmed researched the Nissan Altima he wanted to buy and tracked it to a dealership in Clearfield. He recognized the broken side mirror and protective covers on the mats. With police, Ahmed verified the VIN number which matched the one on his bill of sale.
The owner of the dealership, Neil Crist, thinks someone stole the car off the lot. He says none of his employees match the description of the man, who's been pulling a fast one on unsuspecting buyers.
"I have checked with all the salesmen and finance people that were here on the 28th and no one remembers someone taking that car on a test drive," said Crist.
Because of what happened, the dealership has now tightened its test-drive policy. David Hansen, whose son was scammed, posted a warning on KSL classifieds. There are tips on how to avoid online fraud. It's something that's also posted in the KSL classifieds section.
"I may never see my $1800 dollars again," said Ahmed, "but to see him caught, that'd be justice for me."
Email: [syi@ksl.com](<mailto: syi@ksl.com>)
