Here is My Experience Trying to Buy the $50,000 Tesla Cybertruck with the “88G Plutonium Upgrade”

A Reddit user, r/DuckFlat, recently posted his interaction while trying to buy a Tesla Cybertruck on Facebook Marketplace. The Cybertruck was posted for sale for only $50,000, and given that Cybertrucks generally cost above $100,000, this was certainly an opportunity not to pass up.

The seller did not share many details about the truck; however, from the picture he posted, you can see the Cybertruck is wrapped in bright red and looks to be in relatively good condition.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, a working Cybertruck for only $50,000? That’s probably a scam. And if you were thinking this, congratulations—you are correct.

When we come across something that looks like a scam, most of us ignore it and move on; however, r/DuckFlat decided to prod a bit and find out what’s what. Here is the conversation that followed…

If you’ve ever tried to buy anything on Facebook Marketplace, their conversation started with the dreaded “Hello, is this still available?/Yes, are you still interested?” back and forth.

To this point, nothing conclusively proves this is a scam; however, as the conversation unfolds, it becomes abundantly clear that it is.

r/DuckFlat asks…

So, how does it handle? Have you driven it much? How are the off-road capabilities? They don't allow for test drives, so I'd like to know what I'm getting before I fully commit.

This is a fair question for anyone buying a vehicle online; however, the response was bizarre and is our first inkling that this is indeed a scam. The seller responds in a completely unconnected manner…

“I just want to clarify that we are a legally registered business with a partnership with Tesla. We are able to procure the Cybertruck for a more advantageous price of $50,000, and the vehicle will be delivered directly to you from Tesla.

The delivery process takes place in the Austin, Texas, area, with an estimated delivery time of 6 hours if you are located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. If you are interested in purchasing the car, let me know, and we can begin the purchase process promptly. These cars are in good condition. They are new.”

The first red flag is that Tesla does not partner with other companies to sell its cars. There was a brief period when Tesla sold vehicles at Costco in Taiwan; however, Elon Musk quickly ended that partnership.

At this point, we are starting to be sure this is a scam; however, it’s still interesting to learn how the scammers plan to pull off their con. How sophisticated is their fraud attempt? Do they even have a Cybertruck on hand?

Wisely, here, r/DuckFlat asks whether he can get a test drive prior to purchasing the vehicle. Here is what he asks…

Ah! So you can get it for 50K and are a dealer. I got it. I saw them, and they're really amazing. Is there any way I can drive it prior to getting it, or can you tell me about its off-road capabilities?

In response, the scammers say…

“You'll get it delivered straight from Tesla. Unfortunately, it is not until after the car is paid for & delivered. As for the off-road capabilities, the Cybertruck is said to have impressive off-road performance with its AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) system, adjustable air suspension, and a ground clearance of approximately 16 inches.”

Here, it appears that the scammers want you to believe that this is not a used vehicle but a brand-new one straight from Tesla, which they received at a discounted price because of their “legal partnership.”

After this, the conversation continues with r/DuckFlat asking details about the Cybertruck, including towing capacity and trims, and the scammers, to their credit, use Google to answer those questions.

However, as you start to believe the scammers might know a lot about the Cybertruck, r/DuckFlat throws them a curve ball while he finalizes the final trim before purchasing the truck.

Here is what r/DuckFlat asked…

I'd like the tri-motor Cybertruck version with the 88G Plutonium (software upgrade) if at all possible.

In response, the seller writes…

I'm glad to inform you that we do have the tri-motor version with the 88G Plutonium software upgrade available in our inventory at the moment.

At this point, you are probably laughing; anyone who knows anything about Tesla will tell you the “88G Plutonium upgrade” is a hardware upgrade, not software!

I kid, of course, there is no 88G Plutonium Tesla software or hardware upgrade. With this interaction conclusively proving this is a scam, r/DuckFlat decided to have some fun with the seller. At some point, he even asks the Cybertruck seller to send him $10,000 to ensure this is not a scam.

After having a little bit of fun at the scammer's expense, r/DuckFlat reports the ad as a scam and blocks the seller from Facebook.

If you want to read the entire interaction between the two parties, you can head over to Reddit; you might learn something about how to spot scammers online.

Overall, it is disappointing to see people put so much effort into scamming others. However, please let me know if you want the 88G Plutonium upgrade for your future vehicle. Share your opinion by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image: Courtesy of r/DuckFlat on Reddit

For more information, check out: Tesla Cybertruck Rental Prices are in Free Fall – You Can Rent One for $134/Day

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.