Be wary of this car scam in Southland

Thieves sold rented autos, stole them back and returned them to agency, officials say.

In Southern California, officials are warning of a Facebook Marketplace scam that left several victims not only down a significant chunk of change, but also without the secondhand vehicle they thought they had purchased.

Last month, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrested three suspects in a scheme that sold rented vehicles illegally on Facebook’s popular shopping platform for used goods.

The suspects are accused of renting an undisclosed number of vehicles, then selling them to buyers for cash. The suspects allegedly supplied the buyers with cloned keys and fake vehicle paperwork, according to a news release from the Sheriff ’s Department.

After the transactions, the suspects followed the victims and stole back the vehicles, which they then returned to the rental agency — making off with the cash. Detectives said the scam occurred several times across multiple counties in Southern California. The suspects were not immediately identified.

Sheriff ’s officials say they are looking for additional victims who may have purchased a vehicle from the suspects, asking anyone involved to call the Taskforce for Regional Autotheft Prevention at (800) 299-8727.

As scams on Facebook Marketplace continue to rise and become more complicated, digital professionals warn users to take extra care when making any transaction.

To ensure safe purchases, cybersafety network Gen, which owns and operates Norton and LifeLock brands, recommends users follow seven self-protection tips when using Facebook Marketplace or similar secondhand-shopping platforms.

Keep all communication within Facebook Marketplace.

Pay using a verified form of payment via Facebook Checkout — never use an outside payment app such as PayPal or Venmo.

Make sure the seller’s Facebook profile is real before you buy — avoid new accounts and accounts with no profile picture.

When selling goods, decline overpayments and request the correct amount instead.

Keep your information safe — never give out information such as your phone number, credit card or bank account numbers, or Social Security number.

Walk away from a deal that sounds too good to be true — it probably is.

Never click a suspicious link or complete a transaction on an external website.

Customers should also look out for deals that look suspiciously cheap, sellers who ask for a deposit, or offers from a Facebook profile with no friends or limited activity.