Buyer Beware

WYDOT, AG’s Office warn about recent online scam

By Jordan Achs

When most people think of The Wyoming Department of Transportation protecting the public, they might think of a Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper or a snowplow operator, but the agency’s Compliance and Investigation program also works to keep people safe.

The program regulates vehicle industries in the state, including vehicle dealers, salvage yards, towing companies, Wyoming-based commercial trucking companies, ignition interlock device service centers, among others. Work includes investigating cases of fraud or other crimes relating to vehicles and dealerships in the state and training for businesses, law enforcement agencies, county clerks and treasurers on how to spot potential fraud.

WYDOT’s Compliance and

Investigation program, in partnership with the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection and Antitrust, recently alerted the public about an ongoing online scam.

The state received reports of a business named “J&P Trailers” reportedly based in Cheyenne advertising trailers for sale on websites like Facebook or Craigslist. Customers never received any trailer, even after sending funds.

“Our investigations show no business named J&P Trailers registered in Wyoming,” said Shane Fox, senior investigator with WYDOT’s Compliance and Investigation program. “We are certainly seeing an increase in online scams, especially relating to buying, selling or trading vehicles or trailers.”

As online commerce becomes more ubiquitous, it’s easy for scammers to pose as a legitimate business looking to sell trailers, boats or other types of vehicles. Often these scammers use popular buy, sell and trade sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or similar sites to find potential victims.

Beyond fake sales ads on social media sites, popular vehicle- or dealer-related scams include:

• Vehicle Identification Number fraud, where a vehicle has the VIN altered to mislead consumers, dealerships, law enforcement and more. It often occurs in conjunction with vehicle theft.

• Title Fraud, which is when a vehicle’s title is altered in a way that misrepresents the true condition or worth of the vehicle.

• Odometer fraud, where the vehicle’s odometer is tampered with to change