The Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office is reporting a recent increase of buyers being tricked into purchasing vehicles with fraudulent titles or which have been stolen. In the last few weeks, we have had three buyers swindled out of $9,000, $5,000, and $14,000 cash, respectively. Earlier this year we had buyers cheated out of $10,000, $15,000, and $35,000 cash.
The ever-rising cost of motor vehicles and the reported shortage of inventory have driven some buyers to use non-traditional methods of shopping for cars. Many people believe they can save money by buying a vehicle from an advertisement on social media rather than from an auto dealership. Recently and earlier this year, there have been several individuals come into our Tax Office to transfer the title into their name on a vehicle they bought on the internet, only to find out that the vehicle is stolen or the title they have been given is fraudulent, and in some cases, the seller used a fake identification as well.
“I cannot tell you how much it breaks my heart to see a family’s hard-earned money be stolen from them by such unscrupulous persons. We want the public to know that the Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office is a safe zone for them when purchasing a vehicle. Any person-to-person transactions, especially with cash, should be done in our office with both the buyer and seller present. If the seller will not come with you to our office, do NOT buy the car until you have verified the title and vehicle information,” said Albert Uresti, Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector.
The Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office offers guidelines on how to ensure private auto purchases are safe and legitimate. Primarily, the buyer can ask the seller to meet them at the local Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office, or one of the 19 private Full-Service Title Companies in Bexar County, to transfer the title before a payment is made. This ensures that the title is valid and transferable. There is also a link on the TxDMV website https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/title-check-look-before-you-buy that allows a buyer to search for certain title information based on the vehicle identification number. Citizens can also call the Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office at 210-335-2251 to verify certain information.
“I’m asking our citizens to be careful and to be diligent when buying a vehicle from an individual you don’t know, especially if you find it on an internet site. The seller may not have a real title to the vehicle, or it may even be stolen. If the car is stolen, law enforcement will seize the vehicle. Buyers should follow this simple rule of thumb: If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so proceed with caution,” said Albert Uresti.
