78: Cleveland Odometer Fraud

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Cleveland, Tennessee wasn’t just known for church steeples and Southern charm. It was also ground zero for one of the most widespread white-collar crimes in the country: odometer fraud.

In this episode, we peel back the layers of a shocking automotive scam that involved used car dealers, repair shops, car haulers, and even organized crime networks, all working together to roll back vehicle mileage and deceive unsuspecting buyers. Known in the area as “rollbacks,” these tampered vehicles were passed through auctions and dealerships like clockwork — many flipped and resold before anyone could catch on.

And yes, the problem was so big it landed on 60 Minutes in 1983.

Tune in as we expose how Cleveland became a hotbed for auto fraud.