Audio By Carbonatix

When Renee Junkin listed her 2011 Jeep Wrangler on Facebook Marketplace, she expected a straightforward sale. Instead, she ended up face-to-face with an increasingly common scam: one that starts with a test drive and ends with an oil-soaked engine (and a lowball offer).

Junkin, who lives in Morrilton, Arkansas, said things felt off almost from the moment the Facebook buyers arrived

Two men got out of their SUV and started chatting with her and her father. But she quickly noticed three more people sitting inside the other car. That’s when her guard went up.

Still, she allowed one of the men to take the Wrangler for a test drive. When he returned, the story changed dramatically. He claimed the Jeep was leaking oil and possibly overheating. 

Junkin walked around and saw what looked like oil pouring from both the front and rear of the vehicle. A complete shock, given its solid condition just moments earlier.

After doing some digging, she realized she may have been the victim of what’s known as the “smoking car” scam

It’s a con that’s been popping up across the country, where fake buyers intentionally damage a vehicle during a test drive. Often, by adding oil or other substances to the coolant system to make it appear broken. The end goal is to convince the seller that the car has a catastrophic issue and lowball them on the price.

According to FOX16.com, these scams usually involve teams working together. One distracts, another sabotages, and the “buyer” returns with fake expertise, ready to diagnose a major repair like a blown head gasket.

Junkin said the buyer quickly grew pushy and insisted the Jeep was barely worth $5,500…nearly $10,000 less than she had listed it for. Feeling rushed and unsure what had gone wrong, she took the cash.

Junkin hopes her experience reminds others to be careful when selling cars on Facebook. Meet in public, bring backup, and if something smells fishy (or like burning oil), don’t be afraid to shut it down.