Pennsylvania
‘He preyed on us’: Pennsylvania woman scammed out of $45,000 in sophisticated ‘dealership cloning’ scheme
When Adrianna Parsons and her husband found a shiny Lexus SUV listed for sale on CARFAX, they thought they were in safe hands.
“It all looked very legitimate at first glance,” said Parsons, a resident of Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
The vehicle was listed for $46,000 and linked to a dealership called Specialty Auto in Lincoln, Nebraska. Concerned about buying a car from a dealership 1,400 miles away, Parsons called the number listed on the website and spoke with a man claiming to be the owner, Jim Woods.
“He played the role. He preyed on us. He knew that I was worried. My gut was telling me to stop. I didn’t listen to it well enough,” she shared with ABC 6 Action News.
The man offered to send a custom video of the SUV — what Parsons called a “cold video” — to confirm he had the car. Reassured, the couple agreed to wire $45,000. The SUV never arrived.
What Parsons didn’t know was that the man wasn’t the real Jim Woods — and the website wasn’t legitimate. Though Jim Woods does own a dealership by that name, he told ABC 6 he doesn’t sell cars online and has no internet presence. Multiple other victims have since contacted him with similar stories.
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What is dealership cloning?
The scam that ensnared Parsons is a sophisticated form of fraud called dealership cloning.
Scammers replicate the name, location, and even employee details of real dealerships to create convincing fake websites. They then upload fake listings to platforms like CARFAX, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist, often using stolen images and real VINs.
Despite being a trusted resource, CARFAX listings aren’t immune to scams. When reached for comment, the company declined to explain how it vets dealer listings.
In a statement, it said, “If CARFAX is made aware of a potentially fraudulent listing, the team acts swiftly to investigate and remove [it].”
Since Action News began investigating, the fake Specialty Auto website has been taken down. Local police and the Nebraska DMV are investigating. The FBI has also been alerted. Still, Parsons says the loss was “cataclysmic” for her family.
Read more: You’re probably already overpaying for this 1 ‘must-have’ expense — and thanks to Trump’s tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here’s how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now
How to protect yourself from dealership cloning scams
As more car sales move online, so do the risks. Here’s how to protect yourself:
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Verify the seller: Confirm the dealership’s website URL and call the dealership. Be wary of inconsistent contact details, slight misspellings or prices that are too good to be true. You can also search the dealership’s name alongside terms like “scam” or “fraud” to find any complaints.
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Avoid risky payments: Never wire money, pay with gift cards, or send cryptocurrency. Instead, use a credit card or a reputable escrow service that holds the funds until the vehicle is delivered and verified.
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Get proof of the car: Ask for a custom video to prove the seller has the vehicle. Order a VIN report independently and cross-check it with photos and seller info. If buying remotely, hire an independent mechanic to inspect the vehicle in person.
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Trust your instincts: If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is. In Parsons’ case, her intuition told her to walk away but the scammer’s smooth demeanor made her second-guess herself.
With many legitimate dealerships and platforms moving their business online, the burden increasingly falls on consumers to vet who they’re buying from and whether the transaction is a possible scam.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) — A Pennsylvania hunter bagged the largest black bear in the state so far this year by killing a 717-pounder in Butler County’s Moraine State Park.
Nate Miller bagged the massive bear while hunting in Moraine State Park on Nov. 22, according to a post on Facebook from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Northwest Region. Nov. 22 was the opening day of black bear firearms season in Pennsylvania.
Miller, according to the post, got to the state park just before daylight and was guided by a friend to a spot. After a “quiet morning watching squirrels,” Miller walked to a bowl in the terrain and began scanning the area for bears, the Game Commission said.
“Within seconds, he spotted a massive black shape 60 to 80 yards away,” the post said.
Miller fatally shot the bear with his Remington 721, and “what followed was a true team effort,” the Facebook post said. Friends and family of Miller brought a sled to the scene, and after hours of dragging and recovery, plus a little help from rangers with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the black bear was brought to a check station in Venango County.
The bear weighed in at 717 pounds and was 7 feet, 5 inches long from nose to tail. It had a dressed weight of 608 pounds. The post said Miller bagged a “bear of a LIFETIME!”
“The bear will be full-mounted, with the skull to be scored once dry,” the Game Commission’s post added. “An unforgettable day, an incredible harvest, and a memory that will last a lifetime. Well done, Nate!”
For comparison, the heaviest bear harvested in the state in 2024 was 774 pounds. The second heaviest was 714 pounds.
Bear hunting in Pennsylvania
The chances of getting a bear are somewhat slim, as fewer than 2% of bear hunters harvest a bear in any given year. But the Game Commission says that’s what makes it exciting.
The average bear harvested in Pennsylvania, according to the Game Commission, is about 3 years old. Males of that age typically weigh about 200 pounds, while females of that age generally weigh 160 pounds.
“You could travel to any place in North America that has black bears and it would be hard to find bears that top those like we have here in Pennsylvania,” Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said in an October news release.
MOUNT POCONO, Pa. (WHTM) — President Donald Trump will return to Pennsylvania next week for an event open to the public.
The president is set to speak Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Mount Airy Casino Resort, according to the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
His address will focus on inflation and the economy, the party said.
How to get tickets
A limited number of tickets are available for the event.
Those interested in attending must fill out a registration form. It will ask for a first name, last name, email address and phone number.
Click here to access the form.
Where is the event?
Mount Airy Casino Resort is a hotel, casino, spa and entertainment center in the Poconos Mountains.
It advertises itself as “a premier adult resort” requiring guests to be at least 21 years old. It’s not clear if that restriction applies for this event.
Last Visit to Pennsylvania
This will mark Trump’s fourth visit to the Keystone State since starting his second term.
He last visited the state in July, when he attended an energy and tech investments summit in Pittsburgh.
The president announced more than $90 billion in private-sector investments across Pennsylvania at the summit.
Pennsylvania Quakers (5-3) vs. Villanova Wildcats (6-1)
Philadelphia; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Pennsylvania and Villanova square off in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Wildcats have a 6-1 record against non-conference oppponents. Villanova averages 9.9 turnovers per game and is 6-0 when it wins the turnover battle.
The Quakers have a 5-3 record in non-conference play. Pennsylvania is third in the Ivy League scoring 81.9 points per game and is shooting 45.2%.
Villanova makes 47.5% of its shots from the field this season, which is 4.2 percentage points higher than Pennsylvania has allowed to its opponents (43.3%). Pennsylvania scores 15.0 more points per game (81.9) than Villanova allows (66.9).
TOP PERFORMERS: Bryce Lindsay is shooting 49.4% and averaging 18.1 points for the Wildcats. Tyler Perkins is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers.
Ethan Roberts is shooting 42.0% and averaging 20.3 points for the Quakers. TJ Power is averaging 15.6 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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