ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County couple lost their life savings after falling victim to a deceptive vehicle sale that began on Facebook Marketplace.
Jeffrey Kolkedy enjoyed his 2002 Chevy Avalanche but wanted a newer version with similar features.
His search led him to Facebook Marketplace, where he found what he thought was the perfect vehicle.
“I found this one on the internet, 8,000 miles on it. Thought it was a great deal,” he said. “The guy called me back, we talked, you know, he’s telling me how nice the truck is, said it’s in pristine condition.”
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The seller, Driveline Motor, provided a Carfax report and a purchase agreement signed by the CEO. The sale price was $12,300.
At no point did Kolkedy suspect anything was wrong.
“No, not at all,” he said.
After wiring the money, the signs of fraud quickly appeared.
The company’s website disappeared, phone numbers were disconnected and emails vanished.
It was all the savings the couple had.
Susan Kolkedy shared the emotional toll.
“I lived my whole life, never had a savings account, that was the first savings account I ever had,” she said.
The crooks used a name similar to a legitimate business, Driveline Motorcars, but theirs was Driveline Motor.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25% increase from the previous year.
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Susan criticized Facebook’s role.
“Shame on Facebook. They shouldn’t even have a Marketplace,” she said.
Holly Salmons, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida, warns that social sites do not vet listings.
“The social site is not going to do vetting for you. Just because there’s a listing doesn’t mean anyone has done any sort of vetting, that’s on you,” Salmons said.
She advises caution with high-ticket items: don’t send more money than you can afford to lose, never pay without seeing and inspecting the item, and use a credit card instead of wiring cash.
“Now I know, I’ll never buy nothing without seeing it again,” Kolkedy said.
Remember don’t fall for the scheme, don’t get ripped off, but if you do, email me at LBolden@wkmg.com.
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