Nobody likes being scammed. But in today’s digital world of instant gratification and fast convenience, it’s easier than ever to fall victim. This is especially the case with online shopping, and a city in Kansas is doing its part to warn consumers of a fraudulent classic car website.
The Maize Police Department issued a consumer alert via Facebook. According to local law enforcement, the now-defunct used-car dealership Maize Motors has been resurrected as a classic car business. The flashy new website bears the same name and logo, as well as some really nice inventory. Too bad it’s all a front to steal your money.
The police department contacted Maize Motors owner Gabriel Nicholson, who confirmed the classic car site as an imposter and had nothing to do with him or his former dealership. The genuine Maize Motors website utilized a dot-com URL, while the scam seller has a dot-us web address. The dot-com link is also listed with the Better Business Bureau and on the dealership’s Facebook page. Nevertheless, the official website’s URL is no longer active.
Maize Motors operated on a corner lot in a prime area within the city, which is located about 20 minutes northwest of Wichita. Although the former dealership has a 4.8-star rating online, the business was embroiled in consumer complaints offline.
According to KSN TV, Maize Motors was taken to court for failing to title vehicles within the state’s 60-day window. Nicholson denied any wrongdoing but, in January 2024, agreed to a consent judgment to resolve the complaints. But that wasn’t the end of it. In December, a debt collector filed court documents against Maize Motors for defaulting on a promissory note.
Whether the accumulating court appearances had all, some, or nothing to do with it, Maize Motors ultimately closed shop. Precisely when is unknown, but based on the Wayback Machine archives, the genuine website was last captured in November, while the scam site surfaced just this month. The former Maize Motors building and lot were sent to auction, with bidding ending just last week.
Like many counterfeits, the bogus site looks pretty good. But the devil is always in the details. The scam inventory lists 27 vehicles from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, as well as restoration services, financing, and shipping. However, I did a reverse image search on a 1972 Buick Skylark listed for just $19,720. The images are from a Classic Cars listing that shows it sold for $41,900, date unknown. If anything, the fraudsters did get the vehicle specs correct, even the odometer, but the posted VIN is different even though the images are clearly of the same car.
Small dealerships are targeted because scammers just operate the pretend business until it’s shut down, KSN TV recently reported. The fraud won’t even register with the feds until someone has been cheated out of at least $250,000—a high cost for a small business. Just be careful out there. Cars, particularly classics, aren’t really something you should one-click add to your e-shopping cart, anyway. We’ve heard of enough online car buys sight unseen that led to unhappy endings.
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