Back in October, the Graves County Sheriff's office notified residents of an increase in stolen vehicles from Texas being sold to people locally.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office posted that they learned about another suspicious transfer when paperwork alerted officials that another vehicle bearing the same Vehicle Identification Number tried to be registered in another state.
Detectives found the vehicle and discovered it had been stolen from the Houston, Texas area. The local victim reportedly purchased it from an individual in Tennessee.
The sheriff’s office said these transactions often happen through social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace.
Another instance happened a couple of months ago. A Mayfield couple contacted a seller on Marketplace to purchase a pickup truck. However, the seller lived in Texas, so they agreed to meet in Nashville.
After meeting the seller, the couple purchased the vehicle with cash and brought it to Graves County to have it transferred and registered. However, during the inspection and transfer process, they learned the vehicle was stolen out of Houston.
The sheriff’s office said in both of these cases, the trucks' documents had been cloned and the VIN numbers had been changed to match a legitimate vehicle that could be located elsewhere in the United States.
In cases like these, the vehicles that were purchased have to be seized by authorities, as they are stolen. At least two other vehicles that were stolen and sold in the same way have been recovered by the department.
The sheriff’s office urges caution when purchasing vehicles from strangers, and to talk to your local sheriff for assistance with VIN research. You can also make the purchase in the sheriff's office lobby during business hours, or use the sheriff's internet sales parking spot, which is under video surveillance.
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Previous Star story from October 23
