A "helper" asks to be added to your car title to assist with registration, then seizes the vehicle
Third-party "helpers" target immigrants who believe they cannot register a vehicle without a US-born ID. They ask to be listed as co-owner or Power of Attorney, become the legal owner, and then sell or seize the car.
Also known as: vehicle title theft scam, car registration helper scam, Power of Attorney car fraud, immigrant car title fraud
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 In every US state, any adult can get a driver's license and register a vehicle regardless of immigration status — you do not need a paid helper to do this
- 2 Never allow anyone to be added to your vehicle's title unless you fully trust them — a co-owner or Power of Attorney holder is a legal owner who can sell or tow your car
- 3 If someone has already been added to your title, file a police report and report to your state DMV's fraud unit immediately
- 4 To verify whether you need an ID to register a car in your state, contact your state DMV directly — the number and website are always free
- 5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Someone offers to 'help' register your car and asks to be added to the title or to sign as Power of Attorney
- ⚠ The helper claims you cannot register a vehicle in the US without a US-born driver's license or without their assistance — this is false
- ⚠ Contact came through word-of-mouth in an immigrant community and the person presents as a trusted community helper
- ⚠ They ask you to sign paperwork in English you may not fully read or understand
- ⚠ They call the arrangement 'temporary' — but once their name is on the title they are the legal owner and can act immediately
If someone offered to add their name to your car title to “help” you register it, they are now the legal owner. In Colorado and across the US, any adult — including immigrants — can get a state ID, driver’s license, and register a vehicle without help from a paid intermediary.
If this has already happened: file a police report, contact your state DMV’s fraud unit, and consult a free legal aid clinic. If the wrong name is on your title you cannot legally sell or insure the car, and they can tow it at any time.
Sources
- Colorado DMV — Warning: Scammers Stealing Vehicle Ownership via Title Fraud (Jun 2026)
- Denver7 — Scammers are tricking Coloradans into signing away ownership of their vehicles (Jun 2026)
- KKTV — Colorado DMV warns vehicle owners of scams stealing vehicle ownership (Jun 2026)
- KOAA — Colorado DMV warning of 'title theft' scams happening across the state (Jun 2026)