Authorities Claim This Classic Car Dealership Is One Enormous Scam.

      The Drive

      Nobody enjoys being deceived. However, in today’s digital age, characterized by immediate satisfaction and quick convenience, it’s increasingly easy to become a target for scams. This is particularly true in the realm of online shopping, prompting a city in Kansas to alert consumers about a fraudulent classic car website.

      The Maize Police Department issued a consumer alert on Facebook. Local authorities report that the now-closed used car dealership, Maize Motors, has reappeared as a classic car enterprise. The new, eye-catching website features the same name and logo, alongside an appealing inventory. Unfortunately, it’s all a façade designed to swindle your money.

      The police department reached out to Maize Motors owner Gabriel Nicholson, who confirmed that the classic car site was a counterfeit and had no connection to him or his previous dealership. The legitimate Maize Motors website used a dot-com URL, whereas the fraudulent seller operates on a dot-us domain. The dot-com address is also registered with the Better Business Bureau and appears on the dealership's Facebook page. However, the official website's URL is no longer active.

      Maize Motors was located on a corner lot in a prime spot within the city, approximately 20 minutes northwest of Wichita. Despite the previous dealership having a 4.8-star rating online, it faced multiple consumer complaints offline.

      As reported by KSN TV, Maize Motors was sued for not titling vehicles within the state's 60-day timeframe. Nicholson denied any misconduct but agreed to a consent judgment in January 2024 to settle the complaints. However, this was not the conclusion of the issues; in December, a debt collector filed legal documents against Maize Motors for defaulting on a promissory note.

      Whether these accumulating legal troubles had any influence or not, Maize Motors eventually went out of business. The exact timeline is unclear, but archives from the Wayback Machine show the legitimate website was last captured in November, while the scam site emerged just this month. The original Maize Motors building and lot were put up for auction, with bidding concluding just last week.

      Like many fakes, the fraudulent site appears quite appealing. Yet, the true issues lie in the finer details. The scam inventory showcases 27 vehicles from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, in addition to offering restoration services, financing, and shipping. I conducted a reverse image search on a 1972 Buick Skylark listed for $19,720, revealing that the images were taken from a Classic Cars listing showing it was sold for $41,900, with the date unknown. At the very least, the scammers correctly identified the vehicle specifications, including the odometer, but the posted VIN differs, even though the images clearly depict the same car.

      Small dealerships are often targeted because scammers can operate these fake businesses until they are shut down, KSN TV recently reported. The fraud doesn’t alert federal authorities until someone is defrauded of at least $250,000—an overwhelming cost for a small business. So be cautious out there. Cars, especially classics, are not items you should simply add to your online shopping cart without careful consideration. We've heard enough tales of online car purchases made without seeing the vehicle that ended unhappily.

      Have any tips? Send them to [email protected]