A Calgary man was charged after trying to sell a rental vehicle to a local dealership earlier this week.

On Jan. 17, Red Deer rural RCMP responded to a complaint at Red Deer Toyota located in Gasoline Alley.

Police discovered that a 27-year-old man had attended the dealership with a 2011 GMC Yukon and tried to sell the vehicle.

Staff at the dealership became suspicious after learning of the low price and other inconsistencies in the seller’s story, police say.

Further investigation showed the vehicle was a rental, and its real ownership had been hidden by transferring the registration documents into the name of the Calgary man.

Police say that what alarmed the dealership was the relative ease with which this transaction occurred, and the challenges presented to establish the real ownership of the vehicle.

Staff at the dealership noted that with a large number of private sale transactions occurring, an innocent member of the public may fall victim to a similar scam.

The Calgary man will be appearing in Red Deer provincial court Feb. 15. He faces a charge of attempted theft.

Police cannot release his name pending a formal charge being laid.

Police remind the public of the old cliché that “ a deal that looks too good to be true likely is,” and that with Internet dealings this is even more the case.

-Weber