Bought stolen car, had a fake title, out $12,000 cash

Hi Everyone,

Looking for help here. I found a car on Craigslist a few days back and I went up to northern Virginia yesterday to look at it/buy it, about 2 hours away from where I live, for 12k (all cash). I rode the Amtrak up and got an uber to "his apartment complex". Turns out he didn't live there. I checked the car out and all seemed good. He had a title that I was a little sketched out about due to the printing so I questioned him a little bit about it and ended up getting a pic of his (fake) license. I also made sure the vin on the car matched the title, etc. Along with this, I also got a few detailed pictures of him that were taken inconspicuously.

I ran the car though Carfax and NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) before I bought it and it came back clean. Once I got home I compared the fake title to a real title I had at home and started seeing small differences, so I checked NICB again and it came back stolen. The status of the car changed within a few hours, don't ask me how. After I found out it was stolen, I called my local police and had 2 officers and forensics come out and ultimately hauled it off on a tow truck. They got in contact with Prince William police where the car was stolen and I have been working with a detective up there. Gave him all the pics, info, etc.

The detective out of Prince William told me to open a police report in Alexandria where we met and the fraud actually took place, so I will be doing that soon. I am reaching out to local news stations in northern VA to try to get these detailed pics of him on the news/social media. Hoping that will lead to an arrest.

I think I should kiss my 12k goodbye, but hanging on to a little hope. What else can I be doing?

Please don't tell me what I should have done differently, hindstight is 20/20 and I have learned a lot. I have bought multiple cars on CL before so not my first time (maybe my last).

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UPDATE: Just got off the phone with the detective I have been working with and the pics I provided were given to the FBI and they know who he is and a warrant has been out for his arrest for a couple months.

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UPDATE #2: A local station reached back out to me and I talked to a reporter and he mentioned possibly a Skype interview that gets put on the news. I feel weird showing my face, thoughts on showing my face vs not?

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Thanks in advance....it has been a shitty 18 hours, no sleep, etc.

Written By: BST015
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