AURORA, Colo. — Our partners at Denver7 Investigates tracked down a viewer tip about a fake Colorado car dealership advertising on TikTok. What we found points to a much larger problem.
The email from Alisha Small, a 22-year-old nursing student in Florida, read: “They have ceased communication and are refusing to refund my $2,550 or deliver the vehicle.”
Last month, Small agreed to buy what she thought was a 2020 Honda Civic from Drive Cheap USA Cars after spotting it on TikTok.
She sent money for a down payment and shipping through Zelle. Then came other charges including a “dealership transportation insurance” fee for $1,000 and a “standard emission test” for $799.
Emission tests in Colorado are generally $35.
“Please don’t do this. There are scammers on TikTok. There are scammers everywhere, actually,” Small told Denver7 Investigates.
Drive Cheap Cars USA did not return our requests for comment, and the Aurora address listed on the company’s website led to an apartment complex, not a dealership.
The Colorado Department of Revenue’s Auto Industry Division confirmed Drive Cheap USA Cars is not licensed to sell vehicles in Colorado.
► Watch Jaclyn Allen's report in the player below:
Officials said it is an example of a cloned website scam in which criminals impersonate legitimate dealerships by stealing photos, logos and even street addresses.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said scammers can create convincing fake dealer websites using AI and stolen photos.
“Here’s the tell: they’re gonna ask you for money first, you’re never gonna see a car, and they’re gonna ask you to send it with a cash app or worse, with cryptocurrency or gift cards,” Weiser said. “If you’re not dealing with something you know is legitimate, do not give money.”
Weiser said red flags include:
- Prices that seem too good to be true
- Demands for payment through unprotected methods like Cash App, cryptocurrency or gift cards
- Surprise fees only revealed after agreeing to the deal
- Hidden or fake physical locations
The Colorado Auto Industry Division said cloned website scams are increasingly targeting online car shoppers.
In an recent alert, officials recommended:
- View the vehicle in person before purchase or send a trusted representative or mechanic
- Request the VIN and run your own vehicle history report
- Verify the dealership’s license through the AID license lookup tool and business registration via the Colorado Secretary of State’s website
- Check that the phone number and address are legitimate
- Be cautious giving out personal information and only use secure online systems for financing
- If asked to wire money, call the bank to make sure the dealership is a real customer
The division warns that once money is sent, especially overseas, it is very unlikely to be recovered.
Small said she has learned an important, but expensive lesson about online shopping.
“I know that I will never do this again, though. That’s a fact,” she said.
