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🇦🇷 Argentina /Crime & Justice

Car Dealership in Pilar Accused of Fraud, Customers Paid in Dollars for Undelivered Vehicles

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • A car dealership in Pilar, Argentina, Autos Pilar Premium, has allegedly defrauded numerous customers.
  • Victims paid for vehicles in dollars, including some who traded in their existing cars, but never received their purchased vehicles.
  • The dealership's premises were found closed and boarded up, with authorities investigating potential fraud involving around 20 victims.

Customers of the car dealership Autos Pilar Premium in Pilar, Argentina, are reporting being victims of a significant scam, with many having paid for vehicles in U.S. dollars only to never receive them. The situation came to light when affected individuals arrived at the dealership, located on the Panamericana highway, to find its doors shut and windows covered with cardboard.

"They closed everything. They scammed everyone. They all left. They disappeared," one of the victims stated in a video, describing the scene at the now-shuttered dealership. Reports indicate that around 20 individuals are affected, with some having made full payments and others having handed over their current vehicles as part of the deal for new ones.

They closed everything. They scammed everyone. They all left. They disappeared.

· A victimDescribing the scene at the shuttered car dealership.

The investigations are being handled by the Functional Instruction Units (UFI) N°1 and N°2 of Pilar. Sources suggest the cases may be consolidated under a single prosecutor's office. Among the complainants is Manuel Quintar, a provincial deputy from La Libertad Avanza (LLA), who had previously made headlines for parking a Tesla Cybertruck at the National Congress. Quintar reported paying $285,000 for a Tesla Cybertruck from Autos Pilar Premium, with payment made through bank transfers and cash, but the vehicle was never delivered.

Investigators believe the dealership owners operated a scheme to attract potential buyers, continuing to offer premium vehicles for sale through an organized corporate structure. Last week, anticipating that the owners might move vehicles, the San Isidro Guarantee Court ordered the seizure of 19 SUVs and cars valued at over $1.2 million. Another complainant, a young man, paid $13,490 for a Volkswagen Nivus, which he also never received after being told to cancel his payment to expedite paperwork.

Investigative tasks were carried out, and it was established that the agency owners would continue to offer premium vehicles for sale through an organized corporate structure designed to attract potential victims.

· Case sourcesExplaining the alleged modus operandi of the dealership.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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