Cabinet Motors is a 30-year family-owned fixture in Boundary County, a business that prides itself on being able to rely on their reptation for on word-of-mouth referrals to keep their automotive business busy. They’ve never had a website … but now a website has them over a barrel.
It’s a scam of epic scale, and the masterminds behind the glitzy cabinetmotorsllc.com website are raking in money and ruining the reputation of a small family business in a small North Idaho town more than 2,000 miles away, selling luxury cars that don’t exist and leaving the legitimate business owners here holding the bag.
“For over eight years, Cabinet Motors has matched enthusiasts with the classics they really want—without the guesswork,” the fake site proclaims amid stock photos of a pristine big city showroom and a fine new car, the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. “We combine transparent listings, detailed inspections, and a no-questions-asked 500 miles / 30 days buyback guarantee to make sure every purchase feels as good as it looks. From streamlined in-house financing to insured, enclosed nationwide shipping, our process is built around your peace of mind. Customers stay with us because we do the simple things right: clear communication, honest descriptions, and support that doesn’t end when the keys change hands.”
The site uses Cabinet Motor’s actual address, but faked local phone numbers and a faked email. It has in short time generated a complete and completely fake web presence, causing Cabinet Motors irreparable harm.
The FBI has traced the scammers first to New Jersey and later to somewhere in Toronto, but, as always, catching the culprits in such scams is notoriously difficult. They can hail from anywhere in the world and set up operations anywhere they can access the internet. Their equipment often nothing more than a laptop or a cellphone, they can relocate in seconds and be operational again in minutes.
The Cabinet Mountain Motors family learned of the scam when local folks, including their banker, started asking them if the website was legitimate, prompting them to immediately take the right steps; report the scam to the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction where the crime culminates as well as file a report with the FBI online at www.ic3.gov. Anyone who has had contact with the scammers or who has fallen victim to them should file a report with local law enforcement.
