A MAN who was scammed out of $45,000 on his dream car has urged federal law enforcement agencies to do more to protect Americans.
Matthew Hobson, a retired firefighter from Oklahoma, had always wanted to own a classic 1968 Chevy Camaro – and even kept a picture of one on his wall when he was a kid.
A retired firefighter was scammed out of $45,000 after believing he was buying a 1968 Chevy Camaro[/caption]
The iconic vehicle was the man’s dream car, something he’d always wanted to own[/caption]
Speaking to News 2, he said: “I have had a picture of this car on my wall since I was 12 years old.”
So, decades later, when Hobson came across the classic car for sale online, he immediately contacted the sellers.
He said: “They sent me videos, they walked around the car; it was so professionally done.”
He says that he believed he’d done his due diligence; investigating the car, the company and the process for weeks prior – claiming everyone seemed professional and legit.
Feeling reassured, he wired $45,000 from his pension fund to make the purchase.
He added: “I mean, it was texts, phone numbers, bill of ladings, bill of sales.
“It couldn’t have been any more legit.”
But after waiting for updates on the delivery of the vehicles and hearing nothing but excuses, the suspected scammers then simply disappeared.
He said, “I told him on the phone I’d get him. I said, ‘You ripped me off. I promise I will find you, and I’m not going to stop until I do.’”
Hobson says this is when he contacted the FBI, but they failed to take his calls and merely gave him a website to visit.
He also said he called his local district attorney and sheriff’s department – but only the local police department took on the case, and they managed to trace the company to a facility in Arizona.
Speaking to Capt. Jennifer Caruthers with the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office, News 2 asked her if her investigative team would welcome an outside agency like the FBI or Homeland Security to get involved.
She said: “I would think so because he’s not by himself, and we would love for one of the federal agencies to pick up interest in this case.”
Caruthers revealed the evidence her team had unearthed so far, which points to the scam being conducted by alleged syndicate member Vasile Suprovici.
Suprovici reportedly has close to 10 identifications and passports which even appeared realistic when passed under a black light.
Hobson says he is surprised federal agencies aren’t more interested, since the suspects appear to be syndicate members that are in the country illegally using forged documents and stealing millions of dollars from hardworking Americans.
He said: “It is so hard to get anybody to care, to try, to investigate.
“It’s no wonder they get away with this. It is so simple to do and almost impossible to get them. You don’t get any help.”
This comes as, back in October, another man revealed how he was scammed out of $25,000 after purchasing a vehicle from a classic car dealing website which never arrived.
Dale Frye had found the online website Auto Store CT Quality Used Cars and had marveled at the category of vintage vehicles up for sale.
During his search, Frye came across a 1934 Ford Cabriolet that was being sold by a man named James from West Hartford, Connecticut.
“He sent me a video of the car, and he sent numerous still photos of the car,” Frye told CBS affiliate WFSB.
“It’s a very professional website.”
Convinced that the site was legitimate, Frye wired the man $25,000 for the classic car.
However, weeks passed, and the vehicle never arrived at his home in California.
Frye decided to visit the location where the vehicle was being sold.
“We decided to come here, and James has since decided to quit answering his phone calls,” Frye added.
However, when he arrived, the site was an empty lot.
