--- title: "Scammer Rents Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Sells It on Craigslist, Gets Away With $26K" description: "An LA man bought what he thought was a legitimate Challenger Hellcat on Craigslist, but it turned out to be a rental car." date: "2023-04-03" modified: "2023-04-03" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/stolen-dodge-challenger-hellcat-scam-on-craigslist-cost-buyer-26000" categories: - "Dodge News" - "News" - "News by Brand" --- # Scammer Rents Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Sells It on Craigslist, Gets Away With $26K ![]() Los Angeles native Don Le recently thought he found a killer deal on a 2016 [Dodge]() Challenger SRT Hellcat when he saw one for sale on Craigslist for $28,000. He messaged the seller, went to go see the car in person, made a deal for $26,000, and bought it. Little did Don Le know that the [Hellcat]() actually wasn't the seller's to sell. Instead, the "seller" was a thief and rented the car from Driv3 Rentals in LA, "sold" it to Don Le, and ran. Driv3 Rentals realized something fishy happened when the renter asked for the car's spare key, claiming to have lost the first. When Drive3 declined, the renter coincidentally found the original. After tracking the Hellcat, via a GPS tracker common on rental cars, Drive3 realized the car hadn't moved much. So when it came time to pick it up, they tracked it to where it was, and instead of their renter, they found Don Le. https://www.tiktok.com/@driv3.rentals/video/7214348544537546030 When Driv3 found the car, it looked quite different from when they saw it last. The thief gave it a bit of a makeover, presumably to hide it from the owner. They rubber-dipped the wheels, painted the trunk lid and roof black, and added some SRT Hellcat decals to the rear fenders. They even made a [fake title](), which tricked Don Le into thinking the sale was legitimate. ![]() ![]() However, there were a few red flags Don Le failed to pick up on, such as an incorrect VIN on the fake title, some misspellings, and a handwritten bill of sale. The thief gave Don Le a sob story about going through a divorce and needing cash, so he wasn't overly suspicious of the shockingly low price tag. He also claims to have checked the VIN and that everything seemed normal. Unfortunately, the thief is in the wind with the $26,000 that Don Le took from his savings and borrowed from a friend. Driv3 started a [*GoFundMe*]() to help recoup some of his lost money and it's currently at $6,180. https://www.tiktok.com/@driv3.rentals/video/7216046863076560174 I can understand the excitement of finding what he thought was such a cheap Challenger SRT Hellcat for sale. It's hard to find a Hellcat with decent mileage for less than $50,000. It's cold comfort for now, but it's always worth noting that if the deal seems too good to be true, it's probably bogus. *Got tips? Send 'em tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()