A 24-year-old Kansas City man has been arrested for allegedly selling used cars on Facebook Marketplace and then stealing them back from the new owners, scamming victims of an estimated $24,000 (approximately Rs 22 lakh), authorities said.
The accused, identified as Mamadou Diallo, used the name Yabebal Cherinet on social media to list vehicles on Facebook Marketplace, according to The Independent.
Buyers, believing they were legitimate private sales, met Diallo in person, paid cash, and received what appeared to be valid titles and bills of sale. Within 24 hours of the transaction, multiple buyers reported their newly purchased vehicles were stolen.
According to prosecutors, the accused used the same trick every time. In a span of two months, the police received eight different reports of stolen cars, but the details were identical. Each victim had either bought a 2013 grey Honda Civic or a 2013 brown Buick Verano.
In one incident, a woman saw the car being stolen about seven hours after she paid for the vehicle. When she checked the CCTV cameras installed at her home, she found Diallo coming back to her property and driving the car away. The theft happened around 1 am on June 13, 2025.
The report said the woman saw the same vehicle later listed for sale again on Facebook Marketplace and decided to reach out to the seller with a different account. "The woman asked if the vehicle was still available, the seller responded yes, and appeared willing to make arrangements to sell the vehicle again," the police report stated.
During interrogation, Diallo denied having any involvement in selling cars and claimed that he had never sold cars on Facebook Marketplace.
The officer said, "I showed him the name YabebaI Cherinet and asked if he recognised the name. He said no. I asked him if he had used that name to sell vehicles on Facebook Marketplace. He said, 'No, prove it.'"
Diallo now faces 14 felony counts, including six counts of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and eight counts of forgery. Prosecutors say each count carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. If convicted on all counts, Diallo could face up to 98 years in prison.
Diallo remains in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $30,000 cash-only bond. The next hearing is scheduled for January 27.
