Is this car dealership website a clone scam?

It might be — this is a scam the FTC warned about directly in 2026, so it's worth a hard look before you send a cent. Scammers clone a real auto dealer's website, often using AI, copying the logo, the vehicle listings, the photos and even fake customer testimonials, right down to the detail. The car looks real because it's lifted from a genuine listing; the price is attractive; the VIN may even check out. Then they ask for a deposit or the full amount by wire transfer, Zelle, gift card or crypto — and when you show up, the dealership has no record of your order or your payment.

The tell isn't the car — it's the domain and the payment method. A cloned site lives on a URL that's slightly off from the real dealership's, pushes you to pay before you've seen the vehicle in person, and steers you toward payment you can't reverse. A legitimate dealer takes a normal card deposit, lets you visit, and shows up when you search their name with “scam” or “review.” Don't wire anything. Paste the exact link into the free scan below, and call the dealership using a number you find independently — not one on the site — to confirm the listing and the site are really theirs.