Update: The $4,000 Scat Pack Seller Messaged Me—At 2:45 in the Morning

Well, this story just became interactive.

In my last post, I looked at the TikTok account landmark75, which describes itself as “Landmark Auto” and advertises vehicles at prices and down payments that immediately raised questions—including a purported 2021 Dodge Scat Pack with 45,000 miles for $4,000 and $500 down.

Now the account has contacted me directly.

And apparently, dealership hours start at 2:45 AM.

🌙 “Hey mate”

The first message arrived at 2:45 AM:

“Hey mate”

I eventually accepted the message request and didn't exactly hide my skepticism.

I asked:

“Are you going to try to convince me you are legitimate?”

The response came at 2:47 AM:

“have no intentions of scamming you or anybody here I'm just on here to sell cars to make a living that's all.”

They then asked where I was located and which vehicle caught my attention.

Fair enough.

Except I wasn't shopping.

I was investigating.

🚩 I Asked Direct Questions. I Wanted Direct Answers.

I told the account why I was skeptical.

Their response was essentially: What makes you think I'm here to scam you? I'm here to sell cars and make a living.

But that's not really the question I need answered.

I don't need someone to tell me they're legitimate.

I need information that allows me to independently verify they're legitimate.

There's a big difference.

So I asked one of the simplest questions imaginable:

Where is the business located?

The answer:

“My car lot is based in Savannah, GA, USA and also accept shipping delivery to any door step if we both make a deal at very affordable shipping cost…”

Okay.

Savannah, Georgia.

That's a city.

It's not an address.

So I followed up with an even simpler question:

“What's the address?”

That's where the screenshots currently end.

🔎 I Tried Independently Verifying It

I also searched publicly available sources for the business information displayed on the TikTok profile.

The profile previously showed a Gmail address and a 310-area-code WhatsApp number, while the person messaging me now says the car lot is based in Savannah, Georgia.

My searches did turn up several legitimate businesses around the country using variations of the name “Landmark Auto,” but I did not find a Savannah used-car dealership in the local-business results that clearly matched this TikTok account, its displayed contact information, and the Savannah claim. Instead, search results surfaced unrelated Landmark businesses and other established Savannah used-car dealers with publicly listed street addresses. Landmark Auto Sales

That doesn't by itself prove the TikTok account is fraudulent.

But it certainly doesn't answer my question either.

One public phone-directory result also associates the 310-845 number block containing the number displayed on the TikTok profile with Culver City, California—not Savannah. Phone numbers can be retained, ported, and used remotely, so that isn't proof of anything by itself. It's simply another detail I'd want explained before sending money. Stan at Work

🚩 This Is Why “What's the Address?” Matters

If you're operating a physical car lot, an exact street address shouldn't be hard to provide.

In fact, a legitimate dealership normally wants customers to know where it is.

I should be able to independently look up that address and determine:

Does the dealership exist?

Is the business registered there?

Is it licensed to sell vehicles?

Does the business name match?

Does the phone number match?

Do the vehicles shown online actually belong to that dealership?

Can I physically inspect the car?

Can I call a publicly listed number instead of communicating only through TikTok or WhatsApp?

Those are ordinary due-diligence questions.

I'm not asking for the Coca-Cola recipe.

I'm asking where the car lot is.

🚩 The Conversation Is More Interesting Than the Sales Pitch

Something else stands out.

The account initiated this conversation with me.

They've continued responding even after I openly told them I believe the operation follows a familiar scam playbook.

That's useful.

Because every additional answer gives me something else I can potentially check independently.

If I get an address, I'll check it.

If I get a dealership name, I'll check it.

If I get a dealer-license number, I'll check it.

If I get a VIN for that $4,000 Scat Pack, I'll check it.

And if I get asked to send a deposit before I'm allowed to independently verify those things?

Well...

That'll be interesting too.

🧠 “Trust Me” Isn't Verification

This is one of the bigger lessons from this entire series.

Someone saying:

“I have no intention of scamming you.”

doesn't establish legitimacy.

Neither does:

“I'm just here to sell cars to make a living.”

Those statements might be completely sincere.

But legitimate businesses don't need customers to rely exclusively on sincerity.

They can provide independently verifiable information.

Business name.

Street address.

Dealer license.

VIN.

Title information.

Written purchase agreement.

Financing disclosures.

Independently verifiable telephone number.

That's evidence.

⏰ I'll Keep the Conversation Going

I'll keep engaging with this account as long as the conversation remains useful and safe.

Not because I plan to buy a car.

And definitely not because I'm sending a down payment.

I'm interested in seeing where the conversation goes and documenting the process.

There's another reason.

Time spent answering my questions is time not spent moving someone else quickly toward a deposit.

I can't know whether my conversation actually prevents someone else from being targeted, so I won't pretend it does.

But if keeping the conversation going gives me more information to verify—and gives readers a better look at how these interactions develop—I'm willing to keep asking questions.

And my next one is already sitting there:

What's the address?

A city isn't an address.

Let's see what comes next.

Follow the continuing story at NielFlamm.com/blog.