Imagine that your stolen car was recovered, but you saw the key fob for sale online the next morning. Sure, you’d be angry, but you’d also be faced with a moral dilemma about whether to become your own detective.
TikTok user Alissa Musto (@alissamusto) found herself in exactly this predicament after her BMW was stolen and later recovered by police.
In an 8-second video posted on Wednesday, she reveals the frustrating twist that followed getting her car back: The thief was apparently trying to make a quick $40 by selling her key fob on Facebook Marketplace.
The Discovery
The video opens with Musto looking directly at the camera with an expression of pure exasperation, slightly shaking her head as she processes what she’s seeing.
The onscreen caption tells the whole story: “When the cops recover your stolen car without the key, but this is on Facebook Marketplace the next morning.”
The final two seconds reveal the evidence: A Facebook Marketplace listing showing a BMW key fob with red trim and the distinctive BMW logo. The listing, priced at $40, describes it as a “BMW key fob some scratches but basically new.”
What makes this situation particularly frustrating is what Musto reveals in the comments: she doesn’t have a spare.
“This was the only key fob. Once they found the car, they towed it back to me,” she laments. “I don’t have another key to the car so I can’t bring the car there and test it…and if he comes to me, well, he knows where the car was stolen from.”
This complex security concern highlights how auto theft victims can still be vulnerable even after recovering their vehicles.
Community Strategies
The video sparked an immediate brainstorming session among viewers about how to handle the situation.
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User Kate suggested an elaborate plan. “Lol I’d meet up with him and ask to look at it then see if it unlocks my car if it does then boom…” she suggested. “You have his Facebook and know what he looks like so you can report him AND you have your key back.”
Viewer Chrystal proposed calling the cops. “I’d buy it 100% and would tell the cops to come with me for the purchase…” she urged. “Or heck ask him to meet you at the police station; they often have parking spots for sales and then just prep them.”
Other viewers suggested more straightforward approaches. Brooke noted, “Honestly it’s only $40 I would just buy it. If it ends up being your key you could always just report them after,” while nehoymenoy proposed, “$40 I would literally just Uber there, buy it, Uber back, tell bro it doesnt work, call the cops and report him.”
But others pointed out the practical issues, with Petergreeney asking the obvious question, “How is she gonna get there though.”
That question underscores Musto’s dilemma.
Unless she lives somewhere with public transportation, including taxi or rideshare services (and can afford it), without a working key fob, Musto couldn’t drive her car to test whether the Facebook Marketplace key was actually hers. And meeting the seller at her location would potentially expose her to someone who already knew where she lived.
Police Response Reality
Several commenters shared their own experiences with law enforcement in trying to recover stolen property from online marketplaces.
Eden recalled a frustrating experience. “We went to the police and they were like, ‘Go get it,’ and we were like, ‘We’re scared lol,’ and they said, ‘There’s nothing we can do unless they harm you,” she wrote. “I’m like what?? He stole the phone and is selling it. That’s a crime. They don’t care.”
In contrast, LJ_how? shared a more positive experience where a detective “showed up in his Christmas pajamas” to recover a stolen phone, suggesting that police response varies significantly by location, officer, and circumstance.
The Financial Factor
The $40 price point became a key discussion point, with kab0b noting, “It’s pay $40 for the stolen fob or like $600+ from the dealer (plus towing it to the dealer). Though Insurance should be handling it anyway.”
This highlights another layer of frustration for many theft victims—even if they get a stolen vehicle back, they often face additional costs for replacement keys, reprogramming, repairs, cleaning, and other security measures.
Modern Car Theft Reality
Unfortunately for Musto, her attempts to resolve the situation immediately hit a wall. “It doesn’t matter..he’s not responding to my Facebook messages,” she reveals in the comments, suggesting the seller either became suspicious or simply lost interest in the transaction.
This incident illustrates how modern car theft has evolved beyond simply stealing vehicles. Today’s thieves often target key fobs and other electronic components that can be resold separately, creating ongoing security concerns for victims even after their cars are recovered.
The case also demonstrates the strange symbiosis between modern crime and social media marketplaces, and the irony that victims of crime might well stumble across their own property being sold back to them by a bold thief.
Motor1 direct messaged Musto for comment. We’ll update this if she responds.
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