DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. – A North Carolina man, Corey Brooks, lost his $19,000 UTV after a supposed buyer drove off with it during a test drive in DeKalb County.
Brooks had connected with the buyer through Facebook Marketplace while trying to sell the vehicle. After a week of exchanging photos, videos, and details about the UTV, Brooks made the five-hour drive to Georgia, expecting a serious buyer.
“He was very respectful, used manners. No red flags. I thought I’d be able to spot a scam if there was one — but I didn’t,” Brooks recalled.
They agreed to meet at what Brooks believed to be the buyer’s residence on Abram Way. When asked to test drive the UTV, the man claimed he would go to the stop sign and back. Instead, he sped off and never returned.
“Kind of took off slow, got to the stop sign, and hit the road,” Brooks said.
When Brooks tried to contact the buyer again on Facebook, he found he’d been blocked.
Despite carrying a concealed firearm and seeing the buyer holding a bank envelope that appeared to contain cash, Brooks said he never felt immediately threatened and assumed the situation was secure.
Brooks filed a police report with DeKalb County Police. He is still paying off a loan for the UTV, which he no longer has.
“Now I’m paying on something that I don’t have anymore,” he said.
Brooks warns others selling items online to take precautions:
“Meet at a police station, meet at a bank, somewhere public. Let someone hold the money or a driver’s license.”
He also mentioned hearing about others who’ve experienced similar scams. Police have not confirmed if the suspect in Brooks’ case is linked to any other incidents, and no suspects have been publicly identified.
