AVANT, Okla. — 2 News listened to one woman's warning to others about buying vehicles online after she bought a truck off of Facebook Marketplace and is now out $2,000.
Johnna Brown is a single mom who is self-employed by cleaning houses. She is also very active in her small town of Avant, where she owns a clothing store and food pantry for anyone in need.
Last week her car completely broke down and she had to cancel on clients.
“So every day I don’t work is a day I don’t get paid,” Brown said.
Brown went to Facebook Marketplace and found a seller with a truck for $2,200 but offered Brown $2,000.
“Got all the money together that we could. I found this old truck said it ran well, the mileage was low, should’ve known then,” Brown said.
She and her mechanic planned on going to Muskogee to pick up the vehicle together, but the seller told her their time wouldn’t work due to time constraints. So Johnna went with a friend and her daughter to pick it up.
When she met the seller, he introduced himself. His name wasn’t the same as the man on Facebook, but Brown said he was a friend just helping out.
“My mechanic told me everything to do: check the fluids, take pictures, sent him pictures, everything seemed fine,”
Once the payment was made and Brown had the title and keys, she drove back to Avant. That’s when things took a turn.
Brown said the truck began to break down and could barely move. She called the seller, who told her his dad would buy it back for $2,000, but she continued home.
After a long drive she finally got home and took the car straight to her mechanic where she said the truth was revealed.
“He raised the hood, like everything had additives put in it, all the fluids. The oil was foamy, milky looking, and the odometer had been pushed back,” Brown said.
The truck was ruined. Brown called the seller back, asking if his dad still wanted the truck. That’s when she said the seller became irate.
“That’s when he told me I’m not about to sell my dad a piece of (explicit), and then he started texting me we’re crazy, and there’s no way we’re getting our money back,” Brown said.
Brown also realized the truck's VIN number on the door matched the title, but when she looked it up on Kelly Blue Book, the truck’s VIN number did not match the vehicle on the website.
2 News reached out to the seller and he said that its, "buyer beware."
We also reached out to Broken Arrow police on tips for people who want to buy a car online:
- Meet the seller at a police station.
- At times ask for a police officer to be there during the transaction.
- PolIce can help verify VIN numbers and registration before you buy the vehicle.
- If the seller isn't willing to meet at a public place like a police station that's when you should start looking elsewhere.
- If the sell asks for your personal information online before meeting don't give them it without seeing the product in person.
She immediately called the police and found the tag was out of Nowata. The police told her the only thing she could do was sell the truck for parts.
Police both in Muskogee and Nowata told her there was nothing they could do because it was a civil matter through the Cherokee Nation because the tag and title are Cherokee.
“They told me, basically there’s not anything we can do, you can take him to tribal court, it’ll be a lengthy process and very costly, probably for you because he’s not going to pay for it,” Brown said.
Brown told 2 News she felt embarrassed and humiliated when she fell for a scam like this. Now, she wants to warn others not to do the same.
“He (the seller) told me ‘I would rather work with women, they’re easier to deal with.' They’re easier prey,” Brown said.
2 News asked Brown how she and her daughter have been doing since this all happened.
“I’ve missed five jobs so we’re just trying to recoup emotionally, physically, financially,” Brown said.
She said they don’t have a plan right now, but many have been helping. An old client is letting her drive their car and a GoFundMe page is raising money to get Brown’s car fixed.
“It’s hard for me to take help because I help, I’m the helper, not the helpee so I told her I won’t rob you of a blessing,” Brown said.
If you would like to donate to help Brown click here.
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