Dealer Cloning: Car Dealership Imposters

Wisconsin has experienced an increase in reports of car dealerships being impersonated by scammers online. The scammers create fraudulent websites or social media profiles designed to look like they belong to a real car dealership. They use the real business’s name, signage and address, and sometimes use A.I. generated images and videos to make their fake website/social media profile more believable. The scammers advertise vehicles with deep discounts, far below market value, to entice consumers. The scammer then convinces consumers to send money and personal information without ever meeting in-person. By the time consumers realize they have been scammed, the fake dealer is long gone.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) calls these scams “dealer cloning.” Reports of these scams began increasing in 2024 and in 2025 the number of complaints filed with WisDOT doubled. In 2026, WisDOT is receiving an average of one dealer clone complaint every week. The total losses to these scams reported to WisDOT exceed $1.2 million, with some individuals losing over $100,000.

Typically, dealer clones impersonating a Wisconsin business target out-of-state consumers and businesses – but Wisconsin consumers shopping for vehicles online may also encounter dealer clones impersonating out-of-state dealerships.

Red flags of a dealer cloning scam include:

· A vintage, sports, luxury, or collectible vehicle being sold online far below market value

· The website or social media page was created very recently, even when the dealer claims to have been in business for many years

· Errors in spelling or grammar on an “official” website or social media profile

· The dealer pushes shipping and delivery of vehicles but discourages in-person visits

Consumers can protect themselves by:

· Researching dealerships ahead of time and verifying their contact information

· Never paying a car dealership with a gift card, cryptocurrency, or other suspicious, irreversible payment method

· Checking the dealer’s licenses/titles and verifying them (since scammers have been known to create fake versions of these documents)

· Ending contact if something doesn’t feel right or if the dealer does not want to use a Motor Vehicle Purchase Contract, which is required by Wisconsin law

If you suspect you have encountered a dealer clone, file a complaint online with WisDOT’s DMV Dealer and Agent Section at wisconsindmv.gov/dealercomplaint.