Enterprising teens college dream evaporates in crazy $60K DMV Mercedes scam: Ive lost all hope

A California teenager who blew his $58,000 college fund on a Mercedes-Benz has been left with nothing after the luxury car was repossessed in an apparent scam – despite the DMV repeatedly assuring him the deal was legitimate.High school senior Arrod Berjis, 17, bought the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG for $58,000 after spotting it on Autotrader, believing he could fix it up, enjoy driving it and then sell it for a profit.But before handing over his savings, Berjis said he went to the DMV with the seller to check the car’s title and make sure there were no outstanding liens.After spending three month fixing it up, he found a buyer willing to pay $75,000 for the car – only for the vehicle to vanish before the sale.A DMV employee repeatedly assured him everything was in order, while a Carfax report also showed no liens, according to Berjis.“I get this car at under market value and I get to enjoy it while I also get to fix it and then I can sell it for a profit and add that to my college fund.So that was very, you know, it was a win-win,” Berjis told ABC7.But his dream deal turned into a nightmare when the Mercedes suddenly vanished, with Berjis first contacting the Los Angeles Police Department after assuming it had been stolen.

But the LAPD directed him to a towing company, where he discovered the car had been repossessed at the direction of online used-car retailer, Carvana.“They basically told me that ‘we were ordered to take this car by Carvana,'” Berjis told ABC7.When Berjis returned to the DMV demanding answers, he said officials took possession of his original title.Berjis told ABC7 that a DMV employee admitted paperwork from a previous owner may have been overlooked during the title transfer, allowing a lien to be mistakenly released and a new title issued that was ultimately invalid.LAPD detectives are now investigating the apparent fraud, but Berjis said the seller used a fake identity and fraudulent paperwork, making it difficult to track down ...