Facebook Marketplace Car Seller Accused of Elaborate Vehicle Re-Stealing Operation
Police in Kansas City have arrested a man accused of running an audacious vehicle scam on Facebook Marketplace, where he allegedly sold cars to unsuspecting buyers only to steal them back hours later and resell them to new victims.
Pattern of Deception Uncovered
According to law enforcement officials, Mamadou Diallo, 24, faces fourteen felony charges including six counts of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and eight counts of forgery. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of seven years in prison, meaning the defendant could face decades behind bars if convicted on all counts.
Prosecutors detail that the scheme followed a remarkably consistent pattern across eight separate stolen vehicle reports filed within just two months last year. Each victim had purchased either a 2013 gray Honda Civic or a 2013 brown Buick Verano through Facebook Marketplace from the same seller, who investigators claim was Diallo operating under the alias YabebaI Cherinet.
How the Elaborate Scam Operated
The transactions appeared legitimate on the surface. Buyers would meet the seller in person, exchange cash payments, and receive what seemed to be proper vehicle titles and bills of sale. However, the new owners would typically discover their recently purchased vehicles had been stolen within twenty-four hours of the transaction.
In one particularly brazen instance documented by police, a victim purchased a car only to have it stolen approximately seven hours later. Surveillance footage from the victim's property allegedly showed a man identified as Diallo returning to steal the vehicle in the early hours of 13 June 2025.
Remarkably, the same vehicle reappeared on Facebook Marketplace shortly after being stolen, with the seller apparently willing to arrange another sale when contacted through a different account. This pattern suggests the defendant may have attempted to sell the same car multiple times to different victims, or even to the same victim twice in some cases.
Police Investigation and Defendant's Response
Multiple victims identified Diallo in police line-ups, providing crucial evidence for the investigation. When questioned by authorities, Diallo reportedly denied any involvement with vehicle sales on Facebook Marketplace. According to police interview records, when shown the alias YabebaI Cherinet, Diallo claimed not to recognize the name and challenged officers to prove his involvement.
The total financial impact on victims is estimated at approximately $24,000 across the multiple fraudulent transactions. Beyond the immediate vehicle losses, victims faced the inconvenience, stress, and additional costs associated with reporting the crimes and dealing with insurance claims.
Legal Proceedings and Current Status
Diallo is currently detained at the Jackson County Detention Center with a $30,000 bond that must be paid in full for his release. He faces additional legal complications including warrants for failing to appear in court and detention requests from multiple jurisdictions across both Kansas and Missouri.
A bond-review hearing is scheduled for 27 January in Jackson County court, where the defendant's custody status will be reconsidered. The case highlights growing concerns about fraudulent activities on online marketplace platforms and serves as a cautionary tale for digital consumers.
This incident raises important questions about verification processes on social media marketplace platforms and the challenges law enforcement faces in tracking sophisticated online fraud schemes that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
