California Lemon Law Blog

Although everyone is familiar with email fraud scams consumers must also keep their guard up for more old fashioned scams sent by regular mail, as reported on by The Washington Post.

The Washington Post detailed the experience of a reader from Washington, D.C. who received an “official looking” letter in the mail. The letter resembled one that a person might receive from a large corporation, with the outer edges perforated for easy opening. On the front it read “time sensitive document inside” and “second attempt at sending.”

Inside, it informed the reader that the factory warranty on her car had expired or could expire soon. In the case of this particular Post reader, however, the letter was highly suspicious as her car is a 1965 Ford that she purchased two years after it was made. She was well aware that the factory warranty ran out more than 40 years prior.

But, if she purchased the car in 2006, the tactic might have been less suspect and more effective, as intended by the group sending it. So, be careful out there! These types of companies have no relationship or affiliation with car makers or dealers, and prey on consumer fear and vulnerability.

If you’ve been the victim of any kind of car fraud, call the car fraud attorney in Los Angeles, Howard D. Silver, at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary consultation.

The latest auto scam is targeting users of the internet preying on those looking for a good deal and using phishing techniques to steal victims’ money and personal information. The scam is similar to others that run rampant on online classifieds and car sale sites. A vehicle is listed for sale for well under value by a “newly divorced woman” or an “unemployed man” facing financial challenges. What’s the catch? The seller informs the interested buyer that the car has already been delivered to a shipping service and asks for payment via PayPal (to an unverified address) along with personal information in exchange for shipment of the car to the buyer’s driveway. If it sounds like a “phishy” deal, then your scam sense is sharp.

In reality, these scams create a system for fraudulent sellers to prey upon unsuspecting buyers. Once a buyer’s information and payment is submitted, the seller vanishes into the vapors of online anonymity with the buyer’s money and confidential personal information in tow. Of course, the fictitious car never arrives and the buyer is left with a loss of hundreds to thousands of dollars and an increased vulnerability to identity theft. As reported by 9 News and Modmyauto.com, the fraud targets buyers seeking many vehicle types, from pickup trucks to high end sports cars.

If you think you’ve been the victim of car fraud, contact Los Angeles car fraud attorney Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary case review.

In a fraud case of epic proportions, two former Florida-based telemarketing corporate executives have been convicted and sentenced to five years behind bars for attempting to deal $40 million in fake car service warranties via unsolicited phone calls.

The calls fell like a hail storm across the country, reaching people everywhere including a United States Senator in the middle of a government conference, the attorney general of Indiana, people who do not own cars, and citizens registered on the “Do Not Call” list. In addition, the two men (ages 50 and 46 from the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Bocan Raton in Florida) were fined $15,000 each and also placed on a five year post-prison parole supervision when released.

The men ran the fraud scam since 2007. As many as one billion fraudulent automated calls were sent out to consumers with a message stating their warranty was about to expire. If the consumer was lured in, they were then patched over to other fake salesmen claiming to be part of a warranty center. However, the bogus company did not have the ability to service or extend any warranties on behalf of the car makers as they led people to believe. Instead, they sold over 15,000 camouflaged and questionable third party car service agreements to unassuming and confused consumers.

If you have suffered from consumer car fraud, contact California car fraud attorney Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary case review today.

Since an odometer displays how many miles a car has traveled, many consumers consider a car’s odometer to be the key factor in determining whether they want to buy a particular vehicle.The general idea is that fewer miles traveled makes a car more reliable since it is likely to have experienced less wear and tear. But what happens if a private owner or used car dealer rolls back the odometer unbeknownst to the new buyer to make it appear as though the vehicle has traveled less miles?

Odometer fraud in California is a serious issue that can potentially lead to vehicle problems, expensive repairs and even place the lives of motorists and passengers at risk. For instance, if a vehicle owner is tricked into believing that their car has thousands of fewer miles than it actually has, they may not take it in for maintenance or other recommended upkeep. As a consequence, of car parts could malfunction, leading to potential problems and accidents.

Car buyers who are deceived into believing that a vehicle has less miles than it actually does typically end up paying more than what the car is worth. It is possible that dealerships may even unknowingly sell vehicles with inaccurate odometers because of wholesalers tampering with odometers before supplying the dealership with vehicles.

Do not allow yourself or those you care about to be fooled by a vehicle with a rolled back odometer. If you have been having problems with your vehicle and suspect that the odometer may have been tampered with before it was sold to you, the California auto fraud attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver can help. Contact us today for a free consultation by calling 1-866-49-LEMON.

The initial consolidated complaint in the first of many multi-district litigation (MDL) class action lawsuits was filed against Toyota Motor Corp. for damages suffered by drivers as a result of unintended acceleration. Lawyers have chosen to use California consumer protection laws as the framework for their case.

The National Law Journal reports that the MDL compiles more than 200 lawsuits and lists not only individual consumers, but also rental car companies and car dealerships as plaintiffs seeking compensation. The complaint does not include claims involving death or injury. Instead, it alleges that Toyota knowingly concealed information about defects associated with unintended acceleration (primarily due to floor mat and pedal design issues), which posed a significant safety hazard to drivers.

Plaintiff lawyers intentionally chose to cite California state consumer protection laws, including the Consumer Legal Remedies Act and the California Unfair Competition Law. Attorneys explained that class certification is more likely when the law of only one state is applied, and they specifically chose the California statute because it is significantly pro-consumer.

California auto fraud and consumer protection laws are among the strongest and most comprehensive in the nation. If you suspect that you have knowingly or fraudulently been sold a defective vehicle, the experienced California auto fraud attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver are well equipped to handle your case. Call today for a free consultation at 866-49-LEMON.