Arizona man swindled after buying stolen car from Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) -An Arizona fraud case has a surprising Michigan connection.

The scam involves a Ford Bronco an Arizona man bought on Craigslist. The man, named Nick, had no idea the SUV was part of an auto theft operation that started in Michigan and spread to other states.

Police said more than 12 Ford F-150s and Broncos were stolen off a factory lot in Detroit. Most of the cars have been tracked down, but others ended up for sale.

Nick said the car he bought had a phony VIN number that Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Department didn’t catch.

“I messed up for sure,” he said. “Because if there was any issues the VIN would have flagged. I’m assuming in the system that they have. And it didn’t.”

Police in Arizona have impounded the Bronco as part of their investigation.

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