INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) — Prices for used cars are through the roof and thieves are taking advantage of consumers’ desires for vehicles. One man is out $82,000 after falling victim to a fraudulent deal.

“Scammers are really good about knowing what’s going on in the world and adapting to that to try and entice people,” said Jennifer Adamany, director of communication for the Better Business Bureau Serving Central Indiana. “So, the fact that it’s hard to get a car right now and the price is so high, they see there’s a target market for them to try to offer a too-good-to-be-true deal for people.”

The BBB said a man from California thought he was purchasing a vehicle from a dealer in Indiana. He learned the vehicle and the dealership didn’t exist, but not until after a loss of $82,000.

Adamany advises buyers to opt to see a vehicle in person before purchase, if possible.

“If you can, try not to buy a car without first seeing it and taking that test drive,” Adamany said. “If you are able to, get the salesperson or manager on the phone or see in person because if they are avoiding talking to you or they can’t confirm their location or where the vehicle is actually located, those are red flags.”

The BBB said a few of the common tricks fraudsters are perpetuating right now is listing a vehicle online through a sponsored social media ad. After starting to communicate with the customer, the…